Columbia  (Btritottfftp 

THE  LIBRARIES 


Bequest  of 
Frederic  Bancroft 


1860-1945 


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THE  LIFE 


Rev.  Philip  William  Otterbein 


FOUNDER  OF  THE 


Church  of  the 
United  Brethren  in  Christ 


BY 

REV.  A.  W.  DRURY,  AM. 

With  an  iMroductioa  by 

BISHOP  J.  WEAVER,  D.D. 


Dayton,  Ohio 

TJ1TED  BRETHREN  PUBLISHING  HOUSE 

W.  R.  FUNK,  Publisher 

1913 


O     7234  & 


Copyright,  1884 


PREFACE 


"T  only  remains  for  me  to  give  statement  to  a  few 
points  by  way  of  preface  to  what  is  herewith  pre- 
sented as  the  Life  of  Otterbein.  The  designation 
given,  it  is  conceded,  is  in  various  respects  unsuita- 
^  ble.  Many  things  essential  or  important  to  the  true 
life-history  of  Otterbein  are  irrecoverably  lost,  or  sur. 
vive  only  in  imperfect  outlines;  and  some  things  to 
which  space  in  the  following  pages  is  given  may  seem  to 
include  too  wide  a  circle  about  him  to  be  consistent  with  the 
title  used.  It  might  be  more  fit  if  the  materials  here  given 
should  pass  under  the  character  of  a  memorial  volume — a 
volume  of  the  extant  facts  —  on  the  life  and  career  of 
Otterbein. 

In  my  work  I  have  constantly  been  compelled  to  struggle 
with  the  meagerness  of  material,  and  in  some  parts  with  the 
uncertainty  and  connection  of  testimony. 

I  have  sought  to  honor  facts,  and  to  allow  them  to  mate 
their  own  impression  and  impart  their  own  coloring.  From 
the  endeavor  to  give  to  facts  this  place,  various  consequences 
follow.  The  difficulty  of  tracing  a  faintly-marked  line  of 
facts  almost  necessarily  excludes  literary  attractiveness. 

Likewise  an  unflinching  devotion  to  historical  truth  may 
excite,  on  controverted  points,  the  charge  of  want  of  charity, 
if  not  of  want  of  fairness;  while,  perhaps  in  regard  to  the 
same  points,  others  may  feel  that  too  much  has  been  con- 
ceded.    In  regard  to  these  and  kindred  points  I  have  only 


IV  PREFACE. 

to  say  that,  while  I  have  sought  to  avoid  all  approach  to 
rashness,  I  have  not  suffered  myself  to  be  influenced  by  the 
fear  of  criticism.  The  cause  of  truth  is  best  served  by  the 
positive  presentation  of  facts. 

It  was  my  first  intention  to  give  numerous  foot-notes  as  to 
sources  and  evidences;  but  from  the  fact  that  much  of  the 
material  employed  was  gathered  from  sources  other  than 
books,  and  in  view  of  the  apparent  pedantry  of  such  notes 
in  a  work  of  this  kind,  only  a  few  citations  of  authorities  in 
the  form  of  notes  are  made. 

I  have  admitted  many  quotations,  some  of  them  being 
quite  extended.  This  has  not  been  to  save  work,  but  to  give 
the  reader  an  opportunity  to  use  his  own  judgment,  and  to 
catch  for  himself  the  spirit  of  the  prominent  actors,  and 
gain  a  living  impression  of  the  times. 

In  addition  to  the  attention  given  to  the  relations  of  the 
particular  subjects  presented  to  general  church-history,  spe- 
cial attention  has  been  given  to  contemporary  denomina- 
tional history  in  the  United  States,  particularly  in  the  Re- 
formed, Mennonite,  and  Methodist  lines. 

On  the  histories  of  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ  by 
Spayth  and  Lawrence  respectively,  a  remark  will  be  in  place. 
Starting  out  skeptical  as  to  some  of  the  points  presented  in 
these  histories,  I  have  been  impelled  carefully  to  examine  all 
of  the  statements  contained  that  have  a  bearing  on  the  sub- 
jects presented  in  this  work;  and  the  conclusion  reached  is 
decidedly  in  favor  of  the  general  accuracy  of  these  writers. 
Mr.  Spayth's  opportunities  were  rare.  He  visited  both  Ot- 
terbein  and  Boehm  with  a  view  to  obtain  from  them  facts  as 
to  their  lives.  His  few  mistakes  as  to  facts  are  confined  to 
matters  in  regard  to  which  he  could  not  have  full  information 
at  hand.  Mr.  Lawrence,  while  giving  much  of  the  same  ma- 
terial as  Mr.  Spayth,  went  over  the  ground  independently, 


PREFACE.  V 

and  had  the  advantage  of  some  sources  not  open  to  his  pred- 


ecessor. 


In  some  of  the  parts  in  which  the  following  work  seems 
merely  to  copy  from  the  histories  named,  I  have  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  the  sources  back  of  these  histories.  In  addition 
to  this,  Mr.  Lawrence  has  kindly  indicated  to  me  the  partic- 
ular sources  for  those  gatherings  for  his  history  that  were  ob- 
tained from  personal  testimonies.  Thus,  in  different  ways,  I 
have  had  an  opportunity  to  exercise  a  careful  personal  judg- 
ment as  to  a  number  of  facts  that  I  may  seem  to  be  simply 
transferring  to  my  own  pages. 

Of  assistance  rendered  by  Rev.  F.  W.  Cuno  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  I  make  a  grateful  acknowledgment.  Pastor  Cuno 
is  the  author  of  a  number  of  works  on  historical  and  anti- 
quarian subjects.  He  has  written  a  considerable  number  of 
articles  on  the  Otterbein  family.  These  articles,  together 
with  much  information  communicated  to  me  directly,  have 
been,  in  the  preparation  of  the  first  two  chapters  and  of 
some  other  parts,  of  the  greatest  service.  His  esteem  for  the 
Otterbeins  —  among  them  William  Otterbein  — is  of  a  char- 
acter at  the  same  time  gratifying  and  remarkable. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Dubbs,  of  the  Reformed  Church,  by  direct  cor- 
respondence and  through  his  published  articles,  has  placed 
me  under  the  highest  obligations  to  him.  On  matters  per- 
taining to  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States  no  one 
is  better  informed  than  he. 

Levi  Reist,  Esq.,  of  Lancaster  County,  Pennsylvania,  has 
rendered  great  service  in  relation  to  the  history  of  the  Men- 
nonites.  Mr.  Reist  has  a  rare  genius  for  facts,  and  has  had 
exceptional  opportunities  for  acquainting  himself  with  early 
Mennonite  history. 

To  many  kind  friends  I  owe  a  debt  of  acknowledgment 
Of  those  not  already  named,  I  can  only  take  space  to  name 


VI  PREFACE. 

H.  B.  Stehman,  M.  D.,  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  Mr.  Jacob  Knipp, 
jr.,  of  Baltimore,  Maryland,  and  Rev.  Wm.  Mittendorf  of 
Dayton,  Ohio. 

With  the  hope  that  this  book  may  contribute  something 
toward  the  perpetuation  and  extension  of  the  vital,  aggressive 
Christianity  with  which  the  name  of  Otterbein  is  so  promi- 
nently associated,  it  is  hereby  submitted  to  the  Christian 
public.  A.  W.  Drury. 

December,  1884 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

-AGE 
LIFE  TO   HIS  ENTRANCE  UPON  THE   HOLY   MINISTRY, 

Nassau  —  Dillenburg  —  Otterbein  Family  —  Home  Train- 
ing—Death of  the  Father — A  Quotation  —  Brothers  and 
Sisters  —  In  School  at  Herborn — Character  of  Instruct- 
ors       21 

CHAPTER  II. 

BECOMES  A  MINISTER,  THEN  A  MISSIONARY. 

Serves  as  House-Teacher —  Preceptor  —  Ordination  —  Du- 
ties as  Vicar  —  Oppositions  —  Call  for  Missionaries  — 
Recommendation  —  The  Separation — The  Voyage 42 

CHAPTER  III. 

MINISTRY   AT  LANCASTER. 

The  Germans  in  America — Condition  of  Religion  — Lan- 
caster—  Success  of  his  Ministry — Crisis  in  his  Expe- 
rience—Significance of  the  same— Case  of  Dr.  Hen- 
del,  jr.  —  Assurance  —  The  Extremes  of  Formality  and 
Capriciousness— Two  Worthy  Types  Combined— The 
End  of  Written  Sermons — Calvinism  Forsaken 57 

CHAPTER  IV. 

MINISTRY  AT  TULPEHOCKEN. 

The  Tulpehocken  Settlement  —  The  Church  —  Pleasant 
Features  — Stahlschmidt's  Testimony— New  Measures 
— The  Prayer  -  meeting  —  Return  of  the  Social,  or  Laical 

Spirit 83 

yii 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

Page. 
CHAPTER  V. 

MINISTRY  AT  FREDERICK. 

Character  of  the  Congregation  —  Various  Interests  Ad- 
vanced—  Oppositions — Calls  to  Other  Places  — Mar- 
riage —  The  LeRoy  Family  —  Death  of  Mrs.  Otterbein.     98 

CHAPTER  VI. 

MINISTRY  AT  YORK. 

History  of  the  Congregation  —  Labors  Rewarded  —  Meet- 
ing at  Isaac  Long's — Time  of  the  Meeting — Visit  to 
Germany— Incidents  — The  Farewell  and  Return- 
Concludes  his  Labors  at  York 113 

CHAPTER  VII. 

CO-LABORERS. 

Tint  Mennonites — Ancestors  of  Martin  Boehm — Birth  and 
Early  Life  of  Boehm— His  Selection  for  the  Ministry — 
Conversion— Visit  to  Virginia— The  "Virginia  Preach- 
ers"—Meeting  at  Isaac  Long's— The  Religious  Move- 
ment—Boehm's  Preaching— The  River  Brethren- 
Condition  of  the  Mennonites  —  Opposition  —  Boehm 
Expelled  —  George  Adam  Geeting — His  Conversion — 
Becomes  a  Preacher— His  Home  on  the  Antietam— 
Close  Relations  with  Mr.  Otterbein  —  Other  Laborers..    127 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

CALL  TO  BALTIMORE. 

Mr.  Otterbein 's  Position— The  Old  Congregation— Troubles 
—Mr.  Schwope— The  New  Congregation  —  Efforts  to 
Bring  it  Back— Independence  of  the  Congregation— 
Asbury's  Statement— Hildt's  Testimony— The  Prop- 
erty of  the  Congregation  —  Trial  of  1840— Extract  from 
Griffith's  Annals— Not  Represented  by  Elders— Im- 
portance of  Reaching  the  Truth 156 


CONTENTS.  IX 

Pagl 
CHAPTER  IX. 

ESTABLISHMENT  AND   PROGRESS   OF  THE    BALTIMORE   CONGRE- 
GATION. 

Churches  Built  —  The  Congregation  —  Rules  of  Discipline 

—  Later  History 169 

CHAPTER  X. 

CO-LABORERS   IN  GENERAL. 

Hendel  —  Wagner  — Hautz  —  Henop  —  Weimer — Sch  wope 

—  A  Pietistic  Tendency-^  Minutes  of  Important  Meet- 
ings—  A  License — Remarks — The  Methodists  —  As- 
bury  and  Otterbein  —  Asbury's  Consecration  as  Sa- 
perintendent— Incidents 188 

CHAPTER  XI. 

PROGRESS  CF  THE  RELIGIOUS  MOVEMENT. 

Antecedent  Stages— Newcomer  —  His  Preparation  for  the 
Work— His  Account  of  his  Connection  with  the  Move- 
ment—  Various  Notes  of  Progress — Conference  of  1789 
— Members  o:  the  Conference  —  Objects  Sought— Con- 
fession of  Faith  and  Rules — Conference  of  1791  —  New 
Members— The  Extent   and  Character  of   the  Work 

—  Mr.  Otterbein's  Presence  and  Assistance  —  The  An- 
tietam  Meetings  —  Mr.  Otterbein  Present  at  Meetings 
of  the  Reformed  Church  —  The  Methodists  Welcomed 

to  His  Church — Mr.  Otterbein  Wearing  Out 21* 

CHAPTER  XII. 

OTTERBEIN   AND  THE   REFORMED  CFTTRCH. 

Want  of  Congeniality —  Growing  Alienatioa  —  Condi- 
tion of  the  German  Churches — Various  Testimonies  — 
Facts  in  General  —  Why  some  Misunderstood  Otter- 
bein—Otterbein's  Twofold  Relation— Relation  on  the 
Reformed   Side  Vanishing  — An  Incident  — Geeting's 


X  CONTENTS. 

Pagl. 
Expulsion—  Synod  of  1806  —  Another  Incident  —  Con- 
trary Testimonies  Examined  — Winters'  Testimony  — 
Aurandt's  Testimony— The  two  Relations  Incom- 
patible —  The  Responsibility  —  Statements  of  Dr. 
Benjamin   Kurtz,  Bishop  Asbury,  and  Dr.  Zacharias...    252 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

OTTERBEIN   AND   THE   UNITED  BRETHREN. 

The  year  1800 — Newcomer's  Account  of  the  Conference 
—  Names  of  Preachers —  Preface  to  the  Minutes —  The 
Minutes  of  1800  — The  Election  of  Bishops  —  Confer- 
ence of  1801—  Minutes  of  1802— Minutes  of  1805— The 
State  of  the  Work  —  Otterbein's  Preaching  at  Confer- 
ences and  Big  Meetings  —  Otterbein  Sick  —  Partial  Re- 
covery      272 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

FRIENDLY  RELATIONS — DEATH  OF  BOEHM   AND  GEETING. 

An  Incident  — A  Plan  of  Co-operation  with  the  Metho- 
dists— Organic  Union  not  Thought  Of —Early  Friend- 
liness —  Priority  in  the  Work  —  Ranke's  Description 
of  Popular  Movements  —  Comparative  Disadvantages 
of  the  United  Brethren — Unfair  Classification  —  Re- 
view of  Boehm's  Life  —  Incidents — The  Hollingsworth 
Paper—  Boehm's  Alleged  Withdrawal  from  the  United 
Brethren  —  Review  of  Geeting's  Life 294 

CHAPTER  XV. 

DOMESTIC   LIFE — MISCELLANEOUS    INCIDENTS. 

Situation  at  the  Parsonage— The  Drucks  Family— Do- 
mestic Incidents — Personal  Habits — Benevolence— 
Otterbein  and  His  Carriage-Boys— Otterbein  in  the 
Family  — As  Preacher  and  Pastor  —  Oppositions  —  Fig- 
ures—  Freemasonry  — Unfavorable  Incidents 319 


CONTENTS.  XI 

Page. 
CHAPTER   XVI. 

otterbein's  extant  papers. 

Scanty  Literary  Remains — Destroyed  his  Papers — Letter 
on  Doctrine  and  Discipline — Letter  on  the  Millennium 

—  Letter  on  the  Theater  —  Letter  to  an  Intemperate 
Man  —  Latin  Sermons  —  Sermon  Sketch  —  Books.........    335 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

otterbein's  bast  year. 

Asbury's  Visit  —  Newcomer  in  Baltimore  —  Ordination  of 
Newcomer,  Hoffman,  and  Schaffer — Dr.  Harbaugh's 
Views— Wm.  Ryland— The  Last  Hour  — The  Last 
Words  — The  Funeral  —  Those  Participating — His  Age 

—  His  Tomb — His  Congregation — His  Will — Tributes 
of  Asbury,  Dr.  B.  Kurtz,  Dr.  Zacharias,  and  John 
Hildt  —  Henry  Boehm's  Description  — Pictures  of  Ot- 
terbein  —  His  Life- Work — His  Retrospect  —  His  Vis- 
ion of  the  Future  —  The  Key  to  His  Life  —  His  Name 
Growing  Brighter  —  Recent  Words  —  His  Answers  to 
Asbury's  Questions — His  Aim  and  Reward 354 


INTRODUCTION. 


jg  O  species  of  writing,"  says  Dr.  Johnson,  "  seems 
more  worthy  of  cultivation  than  biography,  since 
Q  none  can  be  more  delightful  and  useful.  None  can 
more  certainly  enchain  the  heart  by  irresistible 
interests,  or  more  widely  diffuse  instruction  to  every 
"JK  diversity  of  condition."  To  treasure  up  memorials  of 
the  wise,  the  learned,  and  the  virtuous  is  not  only  help- 
ful to  the  mind,  but  is  an  exalted  duty  we  owe  to  the  living 
and  the  dead.  In  a  very  broad  sense  biography  may  be  con- 
sidered the  soul  of  history.  Nothing  in  the  whole  field  of 
literature  can  surpass  a  well-written  biography  of  a  wise, 
learned,  and  good  man. 

The  history  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  would  be  sadly 
marred  if  we  should  drop  from  its  pages  the  names  of  Calvin, 
Knox,  Baxter,  Doddridge,  Henry,  Campbell,  Stewart,  With- 
erspoon,  and  others.  The  wisdom,  virtue,  learning,  and  la- 
bors of  these  devout  men,  cast  a  light  all  along  down  through 
the  history  of  that  church.  Many  a  life  has  been  ennobled 
by  the  remembrance  of  the  noble  deeds  of  such  men  of  God. 
The  history  of  the  Methodist  Church  would  lose  much  of  its 
interest  and  power  for  good  if  the  names  of  Wesley, Whitefield, 
Fletcher,  Clark,  Watson,  and  Asbury  were  dropped  from  its 

xiii 


X1Y  INTRODUCTION. 

pages.  Take  from  the  history  of  the  Baptist  Church  such 
carnes  as  Gale,  Gill,  Bunyan,  Robinson,  Stennett ,  Booth, 
Fuller,  Hall,  and  others  of  like  learning  and  piety,  and  but 
few  would  care  to  read  the  history  of  that  church.  So  we 
may  say  of  any  church  that  has  become  historic.  The  Bible 
is  composed  largely  of  the  history  of  eminent  men  and 
women,  of  whose  names  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews 
gives  a  partial  list.  Drop  from  the  sacred  pages  the  history 
of  the  lives  of  Adam,  Enoch,  Noah,  Abraham,  Moses,  Joshua, 
Ruth,  Esther,  David,  Daniel,  Paul,  Peter,  John,  and  a  host 
of  other  like  characters,  and  you  take  from  the  Bible  much 
of  its  richness  and  grandeur.  Whether,  therefore,  we  speak  of 
a  nation,  a  church,  or  the  Bible,  it  is  proper  to  say  that  biog- 
raphy is  the  soul  of  history.  The  writers  of  the  lives  of  good 
men  and  women  ought  to  be  considered  as  the  friends  and 
benefactors  of  humanity.  Nothing  sheds  a  richer  luster 
along  the  pathway  of  virtue  than  a  well-written  life  of  one  of 
God's  saints.  What  can  be  more  beautiful  than  the  last  lines 
of  Luke's  biographical  sketch  of  Barnabas:  "  For  he  was  a 
good  man,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  faith :  and 
much  people  was  added  unto  the  Lord." 

There  is  no  field  of  literature  into  which  we  may  enter 
where  we  shall  find  more  striking  proofs  of  the  doctrine  of 
divine  providence  than  that  of  biography.  The  history  of 
good  men  and  women,  properly  understood,  is  a  history  of 
the  ways  of  Providence,  as  well  as  a  history  of  the  triumphs 
of  grace.  It  is  strikingly  true  in  the  history  of  all  the  ages 
past,  that  when  God  wanted  a  man  for  a  certain  purpose  he 
has  raised  him  up.  God  wanted  a  man  to  lead  his  people 
out  of  the  bondage  of  Egypt,  and  raised  up  Moses.  He 
wanted  a  man  for  a  missionary  among  the  gentiles,  and  raised 
up  Paul.  God  raised  up  and  fitted  these  men  for  their  work 
by  controlling  the  circumstances  around  them.     The  history 


INTRODUCTION.  XV 

of  the  lives  of  Luther,  Calvin,  Wesley,  and  other  "leaders 
of  our  church  universal,"  is  but  a  glimpse  into  the  history 
of  a  wonder-working  Frovidence.  So  also  in  the  case  of 
^hilip  William  Otterbein,  founder  of  the  church  of  the 
United  Brethren  in  Christ,  God  wanted  a  man  to  awaken  the 
Germans  in  America,  and  so  raised  up  Otterbein. 

In  studying  the  lives  of  men  it  is  well  to  obtain  as  clear 
views  of  their  real  character  as  possible.  This  is  one  special 
object  in  writing  and  studying  biography;  but  it  is  not  the 
only  purpose.  "We  do  not  err  in  that  we  find  too  much  in 
the  persons  whom  we  study,  but  in  that  we  find  too  little  of 
Him  who  is  everywhere,  and  everywhere  at  work."  A  good 
man  has  well  said  that  "  God  foreseeing  what  will  be  needed 
at  a  particular  juncture,  selects  and  prepares  the  means  he 
designs  to  use.  His  plans  and  purposes  for  the  most  part  are 
hidden  from  the  world ;  even  those  whom  he  intends  to  use 
are  not  aware  of  the  part  they  are  to  perform."  When 
Luther  was  quietly  pursuing  his  studies  at  Erfurt,  he  knew 
nothing  of  the  work  that  was  before  him.  God  alone  knew, 
and  directed  and  controlled  the  circumstances  which  brought 
about  the  result.  So  in  the  lives  of  all  the  Eeformers;  not 
one  of  them  knew  in  advance  the  part  he  was  to  perform. 

Philip  William  Otterbein  was  a  child  of  Providence,  as 
will  be  clearly  seen  by  those  who  read  and  study  the  pages 
of  this  book.  The  author  has  carefully  collected  together, 
and  arranged  in  proper  order,  facts  in  the  life  of  this  great 
and  good  man  that  unmistakably  show  that  God  raised  him 
up  for  a  certain  great  purpose.  When  Mr.  Otterbein  was 
pursuing  his  course  of  study  at  Herborn,  and  when  in  1749  he 
was  solemnly  ordained  to  the  office  of  an  elder,  it  does  not 
appear  to  have  entered  into  his  mind  that  at  a  future  time, 
and  in  a  foreign  land,  he  nould  organize  an  independent 
church.     When  he  sailed  for  America  as  a  missionary,  he 


XT1  INTRODUCTION. 

came  not  to  be  the  founder  of  an  independent  church,  but 
to  labor  under  the  auspices  of  an  old  and  established  church. 
Some  years  after  his  settlement  as  pastor  in  Lancaster,  Penn- 
sylvania, he  was  brought  into  communion  with  Christ.  Up 
to  this  time  he  had  not  known  Christ  as  a  personal  Savior. 
Soon  after  his  conversion  he  commenced  his  evangelistic 
labors,  not  with  a  view  of  organizing  a  new  and  independent 
church,  but  to  awaken  those  who  were  already  identified 
with  the  visible  church.  Thus  step  by  step  Mr.  Otterbein 
was  led  into  a  way  that  he  had  not  known,  and  would  not 
himself  have  selected.  It  was  only  when  a  combination  of 
circumstances,  over  which  he  had  no  control,  compelled  him 
to  organize  an  independent  church  that  he  consented  to  do 
so.  Facts  all  along  this  line  will  be  clearly  seen  when  read- 
ing and  studying  the  pages  of  this  book.  "  God's  doings  in 
the  history  of  his  church  on  earth  "  are  but  a  history  of  his 
doings  with  individual  members  of  his  church.  In  studying 
biography,  therefore,  we  study  the  operations  of  divine  Prov- 
idence as  manifest  in  the  history  of  the  church  militant. 

No  species  of  composition  possesses  more  interest  than  a 
well-written  biography  of  a  good  man.  Such  a  book,  like 
the  "sunlight  and  rain,"  is  the  common  property  of  all.  To 
make  such  a  book,  the  author  has  spared  no  pains  in  gather- 
ing together  facts  and  incidents  all  along  the  life  of  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein. Fact  rather  than  philosophy  has  been  the  aim  of 
the  author  in  the  preparation  of  the  pages  of  this  book.  Many 
facts  and  incidents  are  brought  out,  especially  in  relation  to 
the  family  and  early  life  of  Mr.  Otterbein,  which  will  be 
very  interesting  to  his  spiritual  children.  Sketches  of  his 
life  may  be  found  in  the  histories  of  the  church,  and  else- 
where; but  in  no  form  or  place  has  his  life  been  written  as  in 
this  book.  The  style  of  the  author  is  easy  and  dignified. 
There  doeq  not  appear  to  be  any  effort  at  display ;  no  rhet- 


INTRODUCTION.  XV11 

orical  flourishes;  simply  a  statement  of  facts  and  incidents 
connected  with  the  life  and  labors  of  one  of  the  greatest  and 
best  men  of  his  times. 

More  than  a  hundred  and  thirty  years  have  passed  since 
Mr.  Otterbeiri  commenced  his  labors  in  America.  He  was 
here  before,  and  during  the  Revolutionary  War;  but  whether 
in  war  or  in  peace,  he  was  the  same  scholarly,  Christian  di- 
vine—  a  man  of  God  and  a  man  for  the  people.  Bishop  As- 
bury  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  who  was  intimately 
acquainted  with  Mr.  Otterbein,  proposed  to  him  a  long  list  of 
questions,  all  of  which  were  carefully  answered  by  Mr.  Otter- 
bein except  the  last  one,  which  was  this :  "Will  you  give  any 
commandment  concerning  your  bones,  and  the  memoirs  of 
your  life  ?  Your  children  in  Christ  will  not  suffer  you  to  die 
unnoticed. "  Scholarly  and  dignified,  but  too  sensitive  and 
modest  to  answer  this  question,  Mr.  Otterbein  was  willing  to 
leave  his  name,  character,  and  reputation  in  the  hands  of 
Him  in  whom  he  had  trusted  for  more  than  three-score  years. 
Bishop  Asbury,  who  read  character  and  life  with  as  keen  a 
vision  as  any  man  of  his  times,  and  whose  pen  was  never 
more  gifted  than  when  describing  noble  character  and  self- 
sacrificing  endeavor,  has  thrown  imperishable  garlands  about 
the  name  of  Otterbein.  The  life  and  labors  of  a  man  thus 
honored  by  men  of  his  own  times  should  be  carefully  written 
and  preserved.  There  were  characteristics  in  the  life  of  this 
devout  man  of  God  that  should  never  be  lost,  but  should  be 
handed  down  from  one  generation  to  another. 

The  author  of  this  book,  with  much  labor  and  wise  dis- 
crimination, has  collected  and  arranged  in  proper  order 
many  of  the  most  important  facts  and  incidents  connected 
with  the  life  and  labors  of  Mr.  Otterbein.  The  "Life"  pre- 
sented is  not  a  dry  and  insipid  history  of  a  man  that  belonged 
to  a  remote  age.  It  is  a  life-picture  of  a  man  who  though 
2 


XV111  INTRODUCTION. 

dead,  yet  speaks  —  a  man  whose  life-spirit  lives  in  the  hearts 
of  multitudes  to-day.  The  memory  of  such  a  life  as  Otter- 
bein  lived  and  of  the  work  he  performed  should  never  be 
lost.  I  therefore  commend  this"  volume  to  all  who  love  to 
read  the  history  of  the  lives  of  good  men. 

J.  Weaver. 


OTTERBEIN. 


IaIFR 


Rev.  Philip  William  Otterbein, 


CHAPTER  I. 

LIFE    TO    HIS    ENTRANCE    UPON    THE    HOLY    MINISTRY. 

Nassau  — Dillenburg— Otterbein  Family —  Home  Training  — 
Death  of  the  Father— A  Quotation  —  Brothers  and  Sisters  — 
In  School  at  Herboru —  Character  of  Instructors. 

HE  life  and  labors  of  Rev.  Philip  Will- 
iam Otterbein,  in  more  respects  than  one, 
were  of  a  solitary  character.  His  is  the 
only  one  of  his  family  name  that,  by  reason 
of  eminent  services,  has  obtained  a  place  in 
the  annals  of  our  countrv.  He  labored  anions; 
the  Germans,  who  had  not,  at  the  early  period  at 
which  he  labored,  obtained  a  recognized  relation 
to  our  growing  population.  The  dust  from  the 
pinions  of  time  has  been  falling  for  full  seventy 
years  on  the  events  of  his  completed  life;  and  the 
gray  distance  of  nearly  double  that  period  spreads 

21 


22  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEM. 

a  veil  over  his  childhood  and  early  manhood  in 
the  fatherland.  Thus  there  is  only  left  to  us  — 
what  shall  we  say? — the  solitary  form  of  an  hon- 
ored saint. 

It  will  scarcely  he  grateful  to  some  to  have  this 
form  exchanged,  even  to  the  extent  that,  at  this 
late  day,  it  can  he  done,  for  one  more  truly  hu- 
man, and  toilsomely  contending  amidst  the  cir- 
cumstances of  ordinary  life.  Yet  if  the  holy  dead 
are  to  inspire  and  instruct  us  by  their  saintly  lives 
and  heroic  struggles,  their  real  likeness  to  our- 
selves, in  all  essential  respects,  must  be  made  ap- 
parent. This  is  the  marked  characteristic  of  the 
biographies  that  are  traced  for  us  in  Holy  Writ. 

But  what  features  are  necessary  to  such  a 
presentation?  Instinctively  we  look  for  country, 
kindred,  associates,  education,  the  early  heart- 
strivings,  and  the  sustained  after-conflict. 

Nassau,*  the  country  in  Germany  to  which  we 
now  turn  our  attention  as  the  home  of  the  Otter- 
bein  family,  is  at  present  included  as  a  part  of  the 
Prussian  province  of  Hesse-Nassau.      The  name 

*  la  1255  Nassau  was  divided  into  two  parts,  and  from  that  time  was 
ruled  by  tsvo  lines  of  counts,  which  lines  became  divided  at  times  into  sev- 
eral parallel  branches.  At  an  early  time  the  younger  line  obtained  impor- 
tant possessions  in  the  Netherlands.  In  1544,  William,  the  heir  of  this  line, 
called  William  the  Silent,  fell  heir  to  the  principality  of  Orange,  and  im- 
portant possessions  in  Holland,  and  elsewhere.  By  reason  of  his  estates  in 
Holland,  he  came  to  be  closely  connected  with  the  affairs  of  that  country, 
»»d  at  length  the  feunder  of  its  independence.    About  1560  William  resigned 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  23 

now  given  to  it  on  the  map  is  Wiesbaden.  It  is 
bounded  on  the  north  by  Westphalia,  on  the  east 
by  the  provinces  of  ancient  Hesse,  and  on  the 
south  and  west,  for  the  most  part,  by  the  Main 
and  Rhine.  It  extends  over  an  area  of  1,808 
square  miles,  and  in  1866  had  a  population  of 
468,311,  the  majority  of  the  number  being  Prot- 
estants. In  the  sonth  the  country  is  quite  mount- 
ainous, and  in  the  north,  in  some  parts,  it  is  high 
and  barren.  The  valleys  are  very  productive.  A 
number  of  streams  traverse  the  country.  The 
country  is  rich  in  minerals,  and  is  specially  noted 
for  its  mineral  springs.  The  inhabitants  derived, 
in  past  times,  great  advantages  from  the  physical 
characteristics  of  the  country;  and  their  relations, 
which  were  specially  intimate  with  the  Nether- 
lands, and  the  Rhine  countries  even  to  the  mount- 
ains of  Switzerland,  gave  them  broad  intercourse 
and  a  stimulating  outlook.  In  early  times  the 
older  Xassau  line  gave  an  emperor  to  Germany, 
but  in  later  times  the  younger  line,  through  the  so- 
called  Orange  princes,  reached  a  higher  celebrity. 

his  paternal  inheritance  in  Nassau  to  his  brothers,  and  there  came  to  be 
several  princes  of  the  younger  line  ruling  over  the  different  parts  of  Orange 
Nassau.  The  count  of  Nassau- Dillenburg  was  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant of  these  princes.  His  capital  was,  of  course,  Pillenburg.  About 
1740  the  different  possessions  of  the  younger  line  were  again  united  under 
a  single  ruler,  and  the  prince  of  this  line  became,  in  1815,  king  of  the  Neth- 
erlands. Orange  Nassau,  in  1815,  was  united  with  the  possessions  of  the 
older  line,  which  in  1800  had  been  formed  by  Napoleon  into  a  dukedom. 


24  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

In  this  favored  land,  in  the  ancient  and  pictur- 
esque city  of  Dillenburg,  on  the  3d*  day  of  June, 
1726,  Philip  William  Otterbein  was  born.  Dil- 
lenburg lay  on  a  sloping  elevation  overlooking 
the  wild-running  river  Dille.  Just  above  the 
town  stood  a  noble  ancient  castle,  the  birthplace 
and  residence  of  an  illustrious  line  of  counts. 
Here  William  the  Silent  was  born.  The  castle 
was  destroyed  in  1760,  and  in  its  place  there  has 
recently  been  erected  a  lofty  tower  in  memory  of 
the  distinguished  patriot  just  named.  Dillen- 
burg contained  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century  some  over  three  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  was  noted  for  its  Latin  school,  female  semi- 
nary, mines,  and  mineral  springs. 

It  is  not  only  gratifying  that  we  are  able  to 
know  something  of  the  Otterbein  family  in  Ger- 
many, but  it  is  an  unmeasured  pleasure  to  find 
that  the  knowledge  that  may  be  gained  is  at  the 
same  time  honorable,  and  calculated  to  instruct 

*  A  number  of  different  dates  have  been  given  for  the  birth  of  Otterbein. 
I.  D.  Rupp,  Esq.,  in  the  books  written  by  him,  gives  November  6th,  1726. 
Rev.  H.  G.  Spayth  gives  March  6th,  1726.  The  date  given  in  the  Baltimore 
daily  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  June  2d,  1726.  June  4th,  1726,  occurs  in 
the  inscription  on  his  tomb.  The  authority  back  of  June  4th  as  the  date 
is  an  incidental  mention  that  occurs  in  a  letter  of  recommendation  given 
by  the  faculty  at  Herborn,  when  he  became  a  missionary.  To  show,  how- 
ever, that  the  date  incidentally  given  in  the  recommendation  was  not  given 
by  Otterbein  himself,  it  is  necessary  to  refer  to  but  a  single  point.  In  the 
paper,  where  the  maiden  name  of  his  mother  should  occur,  a  blank  was  left. 
rb€  fact  that  he  allowed  the  date,  now  found  to  be  incorrect,  to  stand,  is  not 


UFE  OF  OTTERBEIN.  25 

and  inspire.  The  earliest  known  ancestor  of  this 
family  was  the  court-trumpeter  John  Otterbein, 
who  came,  about  1650,  from  Salzschlirf,  near 
Fulda,  to  Billenburg.  lie  was  married  in  1658 
to  Agnes  Deichman,  whose  grandfather  had  fled 
from  Siegen,  on  account  of  persecution,  in  the 
beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century.  To  these 
parents  were  born  two  sons,  one  of  whom  was 
Charles  Frederick,  born  in  1667.  He  married 
Anna  Christina  Hatzfeldt,  the  daughter  of  the 
pastor  at  Driedorf.  "With  Charles  Frederick,  and 
from  his  time,  the  family  assumed  its  ministerial 
character,  which  it  afterward  maintained  with 
great  and  steady  luster.  Two  of  his  six  children 
became  pastors. 

John  Daniel,  the  older  of  these,  and  the  oldest 
of  the  family,  was  born  September  6th,  1696.  He 
was  married  November  28th,  1719,  to  Miss  Wil- 
helmina  Henrietta,  the  accomplished  daughter  of 
John  Jacob  Hoerlen.  In  a  paper  proceeding  from 
the  faculty  of  the  Herborn  school,  she  is  called 

stranger  than  that  he  should  not  have  filled  the  blank.  The  following  entry 
taken  from  the  Dillenburg  church- record  is  decisive  in  favor  of  June  3d: 
"  To  Mr.  John  Daniel  Otterbein,  prseceptori  primario  (rector)  of  the  Latin 
school,  and  Mrs.  Wilhelmina  Henrietta,  were  born  twins  on  the  3d  of  June, 
early  in  the  morning  at  2  o'clock.  The  older  is  a  son,  and  the  second  a 
<laughter.  Both  wore  baptized  on  the  6th  of  June;  the  godfather  for  tin* 
son  was  Philip  William  Keller,  steward  of  the  kitchen  (Kuechenmeister) 
to  the  court;  the  godmother  for  the  second,  wife  of  Mr.  John  Martin  Kel- 
ler, butler  (Kellermeister)  to  the  court.  The  son  whs  called  Philip  Will 
mm,  and  the  daughter  Anna  Margaret." 


26  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

"  the  right  noble  and  v^ry  virtuous  woman,  Wil- 
helmina  Henrietta."  Of  her  high  mental  and 
moral  endowments  more  will  be  said  hereafter. 
These  were  the  parents  of  Philip  William  Otter- 
bein. 

The  father  was  called  "  the  right  reverend 
and  very  learned  John  Daniel  Otterbein."  He 
studied  at  Herborn,  and  in  1718  became  a  candi- 
date of  the  ministry.  In  1719  he  became  a 
teacher  in  the  Reformed  Latin  school  at  Dillen- 
burg,  of  which  he  soon  afterward  became  rector, 
[n  this  position  his  learning,  ability  to  instruct, 
and  piety,  at  once  gave   him  an  honored  place. 

The  house  in  Dillenburg  in  which  he  lived,  and 
in  which  the  older  children  were  born,  while  re- 
spectable, was  yet  humble.  The  house  stood  close 
to  the  church,  and  also  near  to  the  building  in 
which  the  Latin  school  was  held.  ]STot  far  dis- 
tant was  the  family  burying-vault  cf  the  princes. 
In  this  house  Philip  William  was  born.  The 
house  still  stands*, —  such  is  the  firmness  with 
which  the  dwellings  in  Germany  are  constructed. 
History  surely  does  not  err  in  picturing  to  us  a 
home  of  order  and  happiness  for  the  family  of 
the  pious  young  rector.  The  home  was  soon 
gladdened    by    a    full    half-dozen    bright  young 

*  The  house  stands  at  the  rear  of  the  church  near  the  castle,— now  the 
tow«r. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  27 

*V  is;  and  soon,  too,  the  sad  light  from  two  va- 
cs it  places  in  the  circle  fell  upon  the  hearts  of 
tr  3  parents. 

In  the  spring  of  1728,  John  Daniel  Otterbein 
became  pastor  of  the  congregations  at  Frohnhau- 
sen  and  Wissenbacli.  He  thereupon  moved  to 
Frohnhausen,  the  principal  place,  situated  about 
t'-iree  miles  north  of  Dillenburg.  At  that  time, 
5  l  Germany,  a  minister  and  his  family  were  held 
:  q  high  esteem  by  the  people.  The  family  formed 
the  kindly  center  for  the  parish.  Here  the  younger 
children  were  born;  and  here,  as  the  proper  age  was 
reached,  the  children  received  in  their  studies  the 
faithful  and  skillful  assistance  of  the  father.  By 
this  home  instruction  they  received  not  only  their 
first  impulse  toward  knowledge,  but  such  a  prep- 
aration as  would  enable  them  to  enter  schools  of 
advanced  grade. 

The  Reformed  Church  in  Nassau  made  great 
account  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism.  The  Ot- 
terbeins  showed  great  partiality  toward  it,  and 
among  the  famous  catechisms  it  is  doubtless,  as 
regards  elementary  instruction  in  religion,  the 
best.  A  considerable  part  of  the  duty  of  the 
parish  minister  was  to  inculcate  the  catechism. 
All  children  were  obliged  to  become  well  ac- 
quainted with  it,  and  after  an  examination,  when 
about  twelve  years  of  age,  were  confirmed.    They 


28  LIFE    OF    OTTEKBELN, 

were  then  admitted  to  communion  ana  to  aii  or 
the  privileges  of  the  church.  Philip  William 
doubtless  met  the  catechetical  class,  consisting  of 
the  children  of  the  parish  and  taught  by  his 
father,  and  in  due  time,  with  the  others  of  his 
age,  received  confirmation. 

In  the  light  of  what  has  already  been  given, 
Ave  cease  to  wonder  what  the  home  training  of 
young  Philip  William  was.  Every  Otterbein 
whose  name  we  have  gives  evidence  that  he  was 
an  Otterbein — was  of  the  common  stamp.  The 
characteristic  solidity,  strength,  and  piety  had  no 
known  exception.  We  must  believe  that  this 
was  not  the  result  of  accidental  influence,  or  of 
influences  external  to  the  home.  2^or  can  we 
believe  that  it  came  from  mere  inherent  qualities. 

We  naturally  turn,  by  contrast,  to  the  defects 
of  homes  that  are  not  so  distant  in  time  and 
place.  The  father,  in  many  instances,  lends  not 
character  and  authority  in  the  work  of  training. 
In  other  instances  there  is  authority  without  love, 
and  often  rigor  fitfully  sustained.  In  still  other 
cases  the  father  is  but  the  parody  of  a  man,  and 
allows  himself  by  word  and  action  to  be  seen  as 
such  by  his  children.  If  there  is  an  unrestrained 
wag-element  in  the  father,  it  will  likely  run  away 
with  the  children.  Many  children  receive  no 
training — except  when  they  have  misbehaved. 


LIFE    OF    QTTERBEIN.  29 

If  there  is  nothing  in  the  parents  to  inspire  rev- 
erence for  a  superior,  and  esteem  for  soberness 
and  goodness,  is  it  any  wonder  that  the  children 
are  devoid  of  reverence  and  healthful  apprecia- 
tion ?  It  is  a  sad  fact,  too,  that  much  care  is  fruit- 
less through  want  of  wisdom  and  steady  policy. 
Children,  though  responsible  to  the  parents  for  a 
given  time,  are  afterward  to  be  thrown  upon 
themselves;  and  if  the  voluntary  principle  of 
piety  and  right-doing  is  not  implanted,  the  result 
need  be  to  no  one  surprising.  There  is,  too,  a 
care  that  tends  to  produce  callousness,  moral  dis- 
taste, and  reaction. 

In  the  Otterbein  family  there  was  a  strong  and 
healthful  family  spirit,  extending  beyond  the  im- 
mediate household.  There  were  also  hearty  and 
liberal  social  sympathies.  Thus  were  alliances 
brought  to  sustain  a  proper  home-life,  and  to  de- 
velop and  ennoble  personal  and  social  character. 

The  religious  character  of  John  Daniel  Otter- 
bein was  sincere  and  decided.  In  the  baptismal 
register  at  Frohnhausen,  he  wrote  as  follows: 
"  Here  I,  J.  D.  0.,  begin  in  the  name  of  the  Tri- 
une God  and  will  continue  this  work  to  his  honor, 
which  must  be  the  nature  of  all  our  private  as 
well  as  public  deeds  and  acts." 

In  the  marriage  register  he  expressed  himself 
in  a  similar  manner  :     "  Deus  Triunus,  cui  me  et 


30  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

omnia  mea  dicavi,  faxit,  ut  initium  meunx  sit  pium, 
sanctum  et  salutare,  quo  actiones  meae  unwersae 
cedartt  ad  sui  nominis  gloriam  multorumque  aedifica- 
tionem  in  sabitem"  That  is,  "  May  the  Triune 
God,  to  whom  I  have  committed  myself  and  all 
my  possessions,  grant  that  my  beginning  be  pious, 
holy,  and  salutary,  so  that  all  my  actions  may  re- 
dound to  the  honor  of  his  name  and  the  blessed 
edification  of  many." 

But  Mr.  Otterbein's  ministry,  after  a  term  of 
fourteen  laborious  and  fruitful  years,  was  by 
death  abruptly  brought  to  a  close.  He  died  No- 
vember 14th,  1742,  in  the  beginning  of  his  forty- 
seventh  year.  His  funeral  sermon  was  preached 
by  Dr.  Schramm,  "  to  a  tearful  audience,"  from 
Matthew,  twenty-fourth  chapter  and  forty-fifth 
and  forty-sixth  verses:  "  Who  then  is  a  faithful 
and  wise  servant,  whom  his  Lord  hath  made  ruler 
over  his  household,  to  give  them  meat  in  due  sea- 
son? Blessed  is  that  servant,  whom  his  Lord  when 
he  cometh  shall  find  so  doing:." 

The  following  account  written  in  1802  for  the 
Nassau  Chronicle  and  Vade  Mecum,  by  Mr.  Steu- 
bing,  counselor  of  the  consistory,  is  deserving 
of  space  here  —  especially  in  consequence  of  its 
allusions  to  the  different  members  of  the  family 
of  John  D  niel   Otterbein : 

At  No  I  .o  Frohnhausen),  in  the  principality  of  Dillenburg, 
during  the  second  quarter  of  the    previous   century,  there 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  31 

was  a  minister  who  was  much  esteemed  by  his  congregation. 
He  was  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  fulfill  the  duties  of  his  voca- 
tion ;  and  in  the  circle  of  his  family,  which  consisted  of  six 
sons  and  one  daughter,  he  enjoyed  every  possible  domestic 
happiness,  deing  formerly  a  teacher,  he  availed  himself  of 
every  advantage  by  means  of  domestic  instruction  to  prepare 
his  sons  for  their  future  eialted  career.  His  industry  was  so 
far  rewarded  that  the  oldest  son  was  sent  to  the  high-school 
at  Herborn,  where  he  had  already  gained  the  confidence  of  his 
teachers,  when  death  destroyed  the  father's  well  -  conceived 
plans.  The  father  died  in  1742,  without  leaving  any  means, 
because  the  annual  income  was  indeed  not  sufficient  to  meet 
even  necessary  expenses.  The  sufferings  of  the  anxious 
mother  and  deeply-wounded  widow  were  indescribable,  yet 
they  were  not  greater  than  her  trust  in  God.  She  moved  to 
Herborn  because  her  sons  could  be  educated  much  more 
cheaply  there;  and  living  was  likewise  less  expensive.  The 
following  year  already  her  oldest  son  received  a  charge  from 
which  he  realized  an  amount  equal  to  one  half  of  his  father's 
salary.  The  family  fared  much  better  now.  Four  years  later 
ne  received  a  parish.  The  second  son  received  a  remunerative 
appointment  by  which  he  was  able  to  assist  in  supporting  the 
family  and  educating  his  younger  brothers.  Six  years  later 
he  went  to  a  foreign  land,  where  he  was  living  after  a  number 
of  years,  happy  and  honored.  Then  the  third  brother  received 
a  similar  position,  and  through  him  the  education  of  his  re- 
maining brothers  was  fully  completed.  This  good  man  still 
lives  contented  in  this  place.  He  had  the  pleasure  of  having 
his  mother,  a  woman  who  was  very  respectable  and  most  no- 
ble, with  him ;  and  he  manifested  toward  her,  who  saw  all  her 
children  well  cared  for,  a  genuine  filial  affection  up  to  her 
death.  She  died  at  an  advanced  age.  The  three  youngest  son* 
left  our  state.  They  all  filled  good  parishes  and  were  in  good 
financial  circumstances.  One  of  the  sons  by  means  of  his 
writings  gained  for  himself  quite  a  large  reading  public,  and 
another  occupied  a  seat  and  had  a  voice  in  the  consistory  of 
bis  country. 


32  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

What  a  fine  tribute  we  have  in  the  above  to 
the  father,  who  by  home  instruction  devoted  him- 
self to  the  advancement  of  his  children!  What 
a  tribute  to  the  mother,  whose  heart  did  not  fail 
her  when  she  was  left  alone  and  without  tempo- 
ral provision;  who  took  her  family,  then  consist- 
ing of  six  sons  and  a  daughter,  and  moved  to 
Herborn,  there  to  give  her  sons  the  advantages  of 
education!  What  a  credit  to  the  older  sons, — 
Philip  William  being  the  second  son  referred  to, 
—  who  united  their  endeavors  with  the  courage 
and  management  of  the  mother  in  maintaining 
the  family  and  securing  the  education  of  their 
younger  brothers!  And  what  a  result, —  six  sons 
educated  classically  and  theologically,  and  all  of 
them  afterward  successful  and  honored  minis- 
ters! May  we  not  place  the  name  of  Wilhelmina 
Henrietta  Otterbein  with  the  names  of  Lois  and 
Eunice,  and  along  with  those  of  the  mothers  of 
Augustine,  Chrysostom,  and  John  Wesley? 

It  may  not  be  without  some  interest  and  occa- 
sional use  to  have  here  given  a  somewhat  full  and 
connected  account  of  the  family  of  John  Daniel 
and  Wilhelmina  Henrietta  Otterbein.  The  form 
will  be  abbreviated  as  much  as  possible : 

1.  Christina  Henrietta,  born  October  19th,  1720.  Died 
young. 

2.  John  Henry,  born  March  21st,  1722.  Studied  at  Her- 
born 1738.     He  was  the  only  one  of  the   family  that  went 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  33 

away  to  school  before  the  death  of  the  father.  Candidate  and 
teacher  at  Herborn  1744.  In  connection  with  his  teaching  he 
served  as  vicar  of  Ockersdorf  1745.  Pastor  at  Fleisbach  1749  ; 
second  pastor  at  Herborn  1757;  pastor  at  Burbach  1769.  He 
published  a  number  of  sermons.  Four  of  his  sons  became 
pastors.     Died  October  20th,  1800. 

3.  Christian  Frederick,  born  January  7th,  1724.  Died  in 
his  twelfth  year. 

4.  and  5.  Philip  William  and  Anna  Margaret,  twins,  born 
June  3d,  1726.    Anna  Margaret  died  in  infancy. 

6.  John  Charles,  born  May  14th,  1728.  Candidate  at  Her- 
born 1751.  Teacher  at  Herborn  from  1752  to  the  close  of  his 
life.  Also  served  for  a  time  in  the  place  of  the  second  pastor. 
After  1780  co-rector,  and  after  1790,  rector.  Died  May  4th, 
1807. 

7.  George  Godfrey,  born  January  14th,  1731.  Pastor  at 
Kecken  1756.  Pastor  at  Duisburg  1762.  He  was  "  imbued 
with  apostolic  zeal,  and  was  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  error 
of  the  spirit  of  his  age."  He  stood  associated  with  the  leading 
minds  of  Germany.  He  felt  the  force  of  that  course  of  events 
that  ultimated  in  rationalism,  but  resisted  with  all  his  strength 
the  on-rolling  tide  of  ruin.  He  was  the  author  of  three  vol- 
umes on  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  two  of  them  belonging  to 
one  work,  of  a  volume  on  practical  Christianity,  and  the  ed- 
itor of  a  book  on  "  Enoch,"  or  walking  with  God.  He  also 
was  the  author  of  text-books  for  schools.  He  realized  what 
Germany  now  more  than  anything  else  needs  to  realize,  that 
the  schools  must  be  protected  against  the  poison  of  infidelity 
and  rationalism,  and  made  the  nursery  of  true  and  healthful 
moral  training.  His  writings  were  of  a  superior  character,  and 
were  to  some  extent  introduced  into  this  country.  He  died 
September  10th,  1800. 

8.  Philipene  Margaret,  born  March  26th,  1733.  Married  to 
Pastor  Schollen. 

9.  John  Daniel,  born  1736  ;  before  1766  a  candidate.   Tutor 

3 


34  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

in  Berleburg  1766.  Second  pastor  at  Berleburg  1771.  First 
pastor  1795.  Soon  afterward  inspector,  and  then  counselor  of 
the  consistory.  He  published  a  volume  on  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism.     Died  1804. 

10.  Henry  Daniel,  born  November  12th,  1738.  Pastor  at 
Kecken  1762.  Pastor  at  Pfalzdorf  1768.  Pastor  at  Mulheim 
on  the  Ruhr,  1771.    Died  November  27th,  1807. 

Only  John  Henry  of  the  sons  had  descend- 
ants. The  widest  diffusion  of  the  Otterbein  fam- 
ily was  shortly  before  the  close  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  There  were  a  number  of  Otterbeins  out- 
side of  the  family  of  John  Daniel  Otterbein  that 
occupied  important  places  as  pastors  and  teach- 
ers. At  the  present  time  there  are  no  Otterbeins 
in  Orange  Nassau,  where  once  the  members  of 
the  family  were  so  numerous  and  influential. 
Some  families  of  Otterbeins  from  the  original 
home  of  the  Otterbein  family  near  Fulda,  have 
found  their  way  to  America.  Representatives  of 
these  families  reside  in  at  least  live  different  states. 
Some  are  Protestants,  and  others  Catholics.  At  an 
early  day  some  of  the  representatives  of  the  Nas- 
sau Otterbeins  also  came  to  America,  but  where 
they  or  their  descendants  reside  is  not  known. 

Let  us  now  return  and  take  up  the  history  of 
Philip  William  from  the  death  of  his  father.  At 
the  time  of  his  father's  death  he  was  sixteen  years 
of  age.  We  may  be  sure  that  the  orphaned  chil- 
dren read  lessons  of  faith  out  of  the  trusting'  and 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  35 

resolute  countenance  of  their  noble  mother.  We 
have  already  noticed  the  wise  decison  and  courage 
of  the  mother  in  resolving  upon  going  to  Iler- 
born.  She  could  have  stayed  for  a  year  in  the  par- 
sonage at  Frohnhausen,  but  she  seems  to  have 
moved  at  once.  Although  she  has  been  spoken 
of  as  having  been  left  without  property,  the 
family,  while  at  Dillenburg,  had  a  small  lot  on 
which  two  cows  could  find  pasture.  Anything 
from  the  sale  of  this  property,  however,  even  if 
it  was  not  consumed  while  at  Frohnhausen, 
would  have  but  meagerly  contributed  to  th*. 
convenience  of  the  family  in  situating  itself  at 
Herborn. 

Herborn  was  about  three  miles  south  of  Dillen. 
burg,  and  contained  about  two  thousand  iiva 
hundred  inhabitants.  It  was  chiefly  noted  for 
being  the  seat  of  a  celebrated  Reformed  school. 
The  school  was  founded  in  1584,  before  the  morn- 
ing dew  of  the  Reformation  had  disappeared,  and 
almost  immediately  after  the  characteristic  ele- 
ments of  the  Reformed  Church  had  been,  by  a 
synod  that  met  at  Herborn,  adopted  for  Nassau. 
Olevianus,  one  of  the  authors  of  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism,  became  the  first  theological  professor, 
but  died  after  he  had  occupied  his  chair  three 
years.  The  school  consisted  of  two  parts,  —the 
psedagogium,    or  gymnasium,   made   up   *#  five 


OX)  LIFE    OF    OTTEHBEI&. 

classes,  and  the  academy/"  In  the  academy  'J& 
instruction  was  given  by  able  professors,  '/,nd 
mostly  in  the  form  of  lectures. 

Each  class  in  the  psedagogium  had  its  own  pre- 
ceptor. In  the  psedagogium  the  students  studied, 
tor  two  years,  philosophy,  Greek  and  Roman  lit- 
erature, logic,  mathematics,  history,  etc.  Then 
they  passed  their  examination,  and  in  the  acad- 
emy took  up  medicine,  jurisprudence,  or  theology, 
according  to  the  course  of  life  that  they  expected 
to  pursue.  The  greater  number,  however,  took 
Tip  theology,  in  the  study  of  which  they  were  re- 
quired to  spend  three  years.  The  theological 
course  was,  in  some  respects,  more  complete  than 
that  now  required  in  the  theological  seminaries 
:>f  our  country,  and  much  more  thorough  than 
that  now  required  of  candidates  for  the  ministry 
in  Nassau.  The  students  were  required  to  preach 
twice  a  week  before  one  of  the  theological  profess- 
ors, and  every  Sunday  afternoon  one  of  them 
had  to  lead  in  a  Bible-lesson  before  the  students. 

The  theological  direction  of  the  school  is  indi- 
cated by  the  fact  that  the  students  were  required 
to  study  a  book  made  up  of  selectious  in  Latin 

-'Instead  of  "  academy,"  the  term  "  university  "  is  used  in  Schem'.s 
German  Cyclopaedia.  In  the  Cyclopaedia  of  Education  by  Kiddle  and 
Sehem  it  is  said,  "  The  academy  connected  with  the  gymnasium,  after 
Sturm's  plan  [which  the  school  at  Herborn  resembled],  approached  but  did 
not  entirely  reach  the  standard  of  a  university  " 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  3? 

from  the  writings  of  the  great  evangelical  Neth- 
erlander, Vitringa  and  Lampe.  Upon  the  writ- 
ings of  these  men  the  professors  also  gave  lect- 
ures. 

At  Herborn,  up  to  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  moderate  Calvinism  was  taught.  At 
this  time  the  peculiarities  of  this  system  ceased  to 
be  accented.  The  Reformed  Church  in  Germany 
has  never  been  much  given  to  elaborating  or  de- 
fending theological  tenets,  —  especially  such  as 
have  divided  the  minds  of  devout  Christians.  Its 
spirit  has  been  that  of  Melancthon.  Such  was 
the  Herborn  school  when,  in  1742,  Philip  William 
became  enrolled  as  a  student. 

"What,  may  it  be  supposed,  was  the  moral  influ- 
ence exerted  upon  him  during  the  course  of  his 
studies?  The  influence  could  not  be  from  imper- 
sonal elements,  but  from  men,  —  from  fellow- 
students  and  professors. 

The  influence  coming  from  his  fellow-students 
must  have  been  of  a  mixed  character.  Though 
the  large  body  of  the  students  were  preparing  for 
the  ministry,  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  even  all 
of  these  were  free  from  moral  indifference  or  dis- 
soluteness. Even  in  the  ministry  were  those 
whose  lives  were  offensive.  To  be  a  minister  a 
man  must  have  some  mental  force  and  scholarly 
Bquipment,  but  godliness  was  not  always  taken 


38  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

into  account.  In  that  period  generally,  just  as  in 
all  state-churches  at  the  present  time,  the  office  was 
considered  largely  apart  from  the  moral  character 
of  the  incumbent,  and  outward  church-member- 
ship was  often  put  for  inward  gr^je.  Yet  there 
are  no  circumstances  in  which  the  earnestness  and 
conscious  nobility  of  the  young  can  be  so  success- 
fully drawn  out  as  in  those  furnished  by  the 
association  of  kindred  minds  in  the  pursuit  of 
knowledge.  Even  reckoning  the  influence  of 
students  upon  students,  this  will  be  found  to  be 
true.  But  if  there  is  a  peril,  just  as  there  always 
is  where  there  is  any  offered  good,  this  is  in  the 
largest  measure  obviated  if  in  the  instruction  and 
government  high  moral  and  intellectual  endow- 
ments fill  their  appropriate  places. 

In  the  Herborn  school,  at  the  time  when  Philip 
William  Otterbein  was  in  attendance,  very  noble 
men  filled  the  professors'  chairs.  Drs.  John 
Henry  Schramm,  Valentine  Arnold,  and  John 
Eberhardt  Eau,  among  the  professors,  were  men 
of  rare  character  and  fitness  for  their  responsible 
work.  They  were  not  only  learned,  but  were 
able  in  their  contact  with  the  students,  to  touch 
the  secret  springs  of  character  and  strength,  and 
bring  the  latent  energies  of  the  soul  into  high  and 
pleasurable  action.  Dr.  Kau  was  a  celebrated 
orientalist,  and  the  author  of  a  number  of  vol 
umes  on  oriental  subjects. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBELN.  39 

Special  mention  must  be  made  of  Drs.  Schramm 
and  Arnold  as  having  exerted  upon  Philip  Will- 
iam most  salutary  influence.  Dr.  Schramm  *  was 
an  apostle  of  the  so-called  Thaetige  Christenthum 
(active  Christianity).  As  professor  in  Iierborn 
he  lectured  on  practical  divinity,  besides  being 
occupied  in  part  in  exegesis. 

Dr.  Arnold  f  was  a  man  of  lovely  and  noble 
character,  was  a  man  of  faith  and  zeal,  and 
felt  a  special  attachment  for  Philip  William  Ot- 
terbein,  because  of  the  debt  that  he  felt  that  he 
owed  to  his  father,  John  Daniel  Otterbein,  whose 
instructions  he  had  enjoyed  in  the  Latin  school  at 
Dillenburg.  Thus  again  did  pious  and  disinter- 
ested influence  return  to  bless  the  source  from 
which  it  came. 

In  spirit  and  belief  Schramm  and  Arnold  were 
•alike.  It  was  under  their  direction  that  the  stu- 
dents studied  the  compendium  formed  from  the 
writings  of  Vitringa  and  Lampe.  Vitringa  and 
Lampe  were  great  Xetherlantl  theologians,  who 

*  He  was  born  March  20,  1676.  He  became  chief  preceptor  at  Herborn 
in  1701,  went  as  pastor  to  Dillenburg  in  1707,  was  made  a  theological  pro- 
fessor at  Herborn  in  1709,  held  a  professorship  at  Marburg  1721-1722, 
and  then  returned  to  Herborn,  where  as  professor,  and  later  as  holding  also 
the  office  of  superintendent  of  the  church  for  Nassau,  he  continued  to  ex- 
ert a  great  influence  for  good  until  his  death,  in  1753. 

t  He  was  born  in  Dillenburg,  January  26th,  1712.  He  attained  renown  in 
oriental  and  rabbinical  literature.  In  1745  he  became  first  pastor  and  pro- 
fessor at  Herborn.     His  lectures  extended  over  a  wide  range  of  subjects. 


40  LIFE    OF    OTTERSEIN. 

confessed  to  the  influence  that  they  had  received 
from  Cocceius,  another  great  theologian  whose 
center  of  influence  was  the  Netherlands  rather 
than  Germany,  and  who  has  heen  spoken  of  as 
"  a  man  mighty  in  the  Spirit,  and  far  in  advance 
of  most  men  of  his  time  in  the  apprehension  of 
the  work  of  God  in  Christ." 

A  strong  influence  also  came  from  the  east  in 
the  form  of  Pietism.  Spener,  the  founder  of 
Pietism,  died  in  Berlin  in  1705.  In  an  important 
sense,  however,  hoth  wings  of  the  evangelical 
movement  could  be  said  to  belong  to  Nassau  and 
the  adjoining  countries;  since  Cocceius  received 
his  principal  idea  from  a  work  published  by  Ole- 
vianus,  the  first  theological  professor  at  Herborn, 
and  since  Pietism  originated  with  Spener  while  he 
was  pastor  in  the  neighboring  city  of  Frankfort- 
on-the-Maim  Pietism,  as  to  its  spirit  and 
method,  started  with  a  struggle  after  purity  of 
heart,  sought  through  minor  assemblies  the  nur- 
ture of  those  that  had  reached  this  state;  and  gave 
to  internal  elements  generally  an  importance  over 
the  external.  It  sought  to  leaven  the  church, 
not  to  introduce  rivalry  or  antagonism.  It  orig- 
inated in  the  Lutheran  Church,  but  especially 
along  some  portions  of  the  Rhine  obtained  a 
great  influence  in  the  Reformed  Church.  It  was 
only  another  of  those  spiritual  freshets,  occurring 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  41 

in  all  the  ages  of  the  church,  that,  while  some- 
times mistaking  their  proper  course,  have  yet 
made  many  a  solitary  place  to  rejoice.  Dr. 
Schramm  especially  was  favorably  inclined  to 
Pietism.  Dr.  Henry  Horch,  professor  in  Herborn 
from  1690  to  1698,  had  carried  Pietism  to  such  an 
v  extravagance  as  to  bring  it  into  disrepute.  It  is 
better  to  speak  of  Dr.  Schramm  as  Pietistic  than 
as  a  Pietist.  Dr.  Arnold,  as  to  the  source  and 
character  of  his  tendencies,  was  more  a  Hol- 
lander. He  also  had  a  general  acquaintance 
abroad,  and  read  and  recommended  the  works  of 
Philip  Doddridge.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
Dr.  Doddridge  was  the  author  of,  among  other 
works,  "  Pise  and  Progress  of  Religion  in  the 
Soul,"  and  "  Sermons  on  Regeneration."  Both 
Dr.  Schramm  and  Dr.  Arnold  took  great  interest 
in  mission-work,  and  in  all  forms  of  active  Chris- 
tianity. 

It  can  not  be  a  matter  of  doubt  as  to  what  was 
the  influence  of  these  two  superior  men  upon 
young  Otterbein.  Neither  can  it  be  doubted 
what  was  one  of  the  sources  of  those  rich  tides 
of  evangelical  life,  that,  after  he  came  to  Amer- 
ica, filled  his  heart  to  overflowing,  and  furnished 
a  new  starting-point  for  spiritual  religion  among 
the  Germans  that  had  sought  homes  in  the  New 
World. 


CHAPTER  II. 


Serves  as  House  -  Teacher — Preceptor  —  Ordination  —  Duties 
as  Vicar  —  Oppositions  —  Call  for  Missionaries  —  Recom- 
mendation —  The  Separation  —  The  Voyage. 

^FTER  Philip  William  Otterbein  had  com- 
[  pleted  his  course  of  study  at  Herborn,  he 
set  his  face  toward  the  holy  ministry.  What 
his  exercises  of  mind  were  we  do  not  know. 
He  surely  did  not  act  hastily  or  thought- 
lessly. Advancement  in  the  ministry  was  slow, 
and  the  emoluments,  in  most  cases,  meager; 
worldly  considerations,  therefore,  could  not  have 
governed  his  mind.  The  venerated  example  of 
his  father,  the  pious  desires  of  his  mother,  the 
influence  of  great  and  holy  men,  along  with  the 
silent  promptings  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  would  per- 
haps explain  the  course  that  he  took. 

He  first  went  as  a  house-teacher  (hauslehrer) 
into  the  country  of  Berg,  a  small  dukedom  lying 
north  -  west  of  Nassau  about  one  hundred  miles. 
In  the  Reformed  Church  in  Germany  it  was  a 
quite  general  custom  for  those  that  had  completed 

42 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  43 

their  course  in  school  and  were  looking  toward 
the  ministry  to  teach  for  a  time  in  the  families  of 
those  that  might  be  willing  to  engage  their  serv- 
ices. Thus  they  would  improve  their  quali- 
fications  for  the  part  in  teaching  that  would,  in 
connection  with  their  future  ministry,  fall  to 
them.  Some  offered  themselves  for  examination 
immediately  on  their  leaving  school,  and  were  at 
once  constituted  candidates.  Young  Otterbein's 
modesty,  however,  kept  him  from  becoming  a 
candidate  officially  until  there  was  some  suitable 
occasion  for  it.  To  be  accredited  as  a  candidate 
meant  about  what  being  "licensed"  means  with 
us.  In  Germany,  though,  the  educational  quali- 
fications were  more  strictly  looked  to.  Ordina- 
tion was  not  conferred  until  the  candidate  received 
a  call  to  a  work  that  required  full  ministerial 
functions.  The  candidates  were  understood  to  be 
waiting  such  a  call.  Hence  the  name  candidate. 
It  is  altogether  probable  that  in  Berg  the  young 
teacher  taught  in  the  family  of  one  of  the  wealthy 
merchants  in  the  beautiful  city  of  Elberfelcl. 
Rev.  Nicholas  Druschel  and  Rev.  John  Acben- 
bach,  ministers  that  left  a  record  of  piety,  were 
at  this  time  preaching  in  Elberfeld. 

In  1748,  Philip  William  became  preceptor  in 
the  Herborn  school.  This  made  it  proper  for  him 
to  pass  his  examination,  and  to  take  the  rank  and 


44  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

title  of  a  candidate  of  the  holy  ministry.  He 
accordingly  passed  his  examination,  and  became 
in  the  proper  sense  a  candidate.  He  was  exam- 
ined May  6th,  1748,  the  Herborn  faculty  being 
the  examiners.  He  became  preceptor  of  the  third 
class,  his  oldest  brother  serving  at  the  same  time 
as  preceptor  of  the  fifth  class,  having  been  ap- 
pointed to  the  same  four  years  before.  Those 
that  had  been  his  teachers  were  now  his  associates. 
He  was  but  twenty-two  years  of  age,  and  yet  his 
work  was  with  those  that  were  somewhat  ad- 
vanced in  their  studies. 

In  1749  his  oldest  brother,  who,  in  connection 
with  his  teaching,  had  also  served  as  vicar  of 
Ockersdorf,  left  Herborn  to  become  pastor  at 
Fleisbach,  and  now  Philip  William  was  appointed 
by  the  count's  upper  consistory  at  Dillenburg, 
vicar  to  the  vacant  post.  It  was^  now  necessary 
that  he  be  ordained  that  he  might  minister  at 
the  altar,  as  well  as  speak  from  the  pulpit.  His 
ordination  took  place  in  the  city  church  at  Dil- 
lenburg, June  13th,  1749.  The  following  is  a 
copy  of  a  certificate  of  ordination,  given  by  Dr. 
Schramm,  when  Mr.  Otterbein  became  a  mission- 
ary to  America: 

LECTORIS  SALUTEM. 

Reverendus  et  doctissimus  vir  juvenis,  Philippus  Guilhel- 
mus  Otterbeinius,  gente  Nassauius,  domo  Dillenburgensis,  S. 
Ministerit  Candidatus,  classis  tertise  hujus   psedagogii  prse- 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  45 

ceptor,  manuum  impositione  adsistentibus  CI.  Arnoldo,  pro- 
fessore  atque  primario  ccetus  Herbornensis  pastore,  et  admo- 
dum  reverendo  Klingelhosfero  ejusdem  ecclesise  secundario, 
ut  vicariam  in  ccetu  Ockersdorpiano  prsestaret  opem,  13  Junii, 
1749,  ordinationis  a  me  impetravit  axioma.  Quod  bis  ad  ejus 
requisitionem  testor,  et  dilecto  meo  quondam  auditori  in 
peregrinas  abiturienti  oras,  fausta  quae  vis  prosperumque  iter 
ex  animo  precor,  constantis  mei  adversus  eum  adfectus  moni- 
mentum. 

(  > ' >  -y  JOH.    HeNRICUS   SCHRAMMIUS, 

|  Signum  j     Theologia  Doctor  et  Ecclesiarum  Nassauicarum  Superintendens. 

Herborn. e,  III  Calendas  Martias,  1752.  * 

TRANSLATION. 

lb  the  Header,  Greeting: — 

The  reverend  and  very  learned  young  man,  Philip  William 
Otterbein,  from  Dillenburg,  in  Nassau,  a  candidate  of  the  boly 
ministry,  and  a  teacber  of  the  tbird  class  in  this  school,  re- 
ceived of  me,  assisted  by  CI.  |  Arnold,  professor  and  first  pas- 
tor of  the  congregation  at  Herborn,  and  by  the  Reverend 
Klingelhoefer,  second  pastor  of  the  same  church,  on  the  13th 
of  June,  1749, —  the  rite  of  ordination  by  the  laying  on  of 
hands,  that  he  might  perform  the  functions  of  vicar,  in  the 
congregation  at  Ockersdorf.  This  I  certifiy  at  his  request ;  and 
to  my  much  esteemed  former  hearer,  who  is  now  about  to  emi- 
grate to  foreign  shores,  I  earnestly  wish  all  good  fortune  and  a 
prosperous  voyage,  and  subscribe  this  letter  as  a  testimonial 
of  my  never-failing  affection  towards  him. 

John  Henry  Schramm, 

Doctor  of  Theology,  and  Superintendent  of  the  Church  of  Nassau. 
Herborn,  February  28, 1752. 

*  The  original  copy  of  this  letter  was  handed  to  Rev.  John  Hildt,  by 
Mr.  Otterbein,  near  the  close  of  his  life,  and  by  Mr.  Hildt  placed  in  the 
Telescope  office,  where  it  is  still  preserved. 

t "  CI."  here  stands  as  an  abbreviation  for  Clarissimus,  a  title  often 
prefixed  to  the  names  of  German  professors.  The  term  means  M  most 
illustrious."    The  title  might  be  rendered,  "  His  Highness." 


|    Seal.    I 


46  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

Iii  Herborn  there  was  but  one  church,  but  there 
were  two  pastors,  Dr.  Arnold  being  first  pastor, 
and  Rev.  John  Henry  Ivlingelhcefer  second  pas- 
tor. Ockersdorf  was  a  village  with  a  population 
of  two  hundred,  and  situated  about  twenty  min- 
utes' walk  north  of  Herborn.  About  ten  minutes' 
walk  to  the  right  of  Ockersdorf  was  Burg,  a 
village  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants. 
The  churches  in  these  villages  were  connected 
with  the  Herborn  church,  and  were  under  the  spe- 
cial direction  of  the  second  pastor.  Mr.  Otterbein 
was  to  preach  at  Ockersdorf  once  each  Sabbath, 
on  the  first  Wednesday  of  each  month,  and  on 
festival  days,  and  was  to  hold  a  weekly  prayer- 
meeting.  A  stated  prayer  -  meeting  at  that  time 
was  almost  without  example.  He  often  preached 
also  at  Burg;  likewise  it  was  a  part  of  his  duty 
frequently  to  preach  at  Herborn.  His  preaching 
at  Herborn  seems  to  have  been  connected  with 
the  service  that  he  owed  the  second  pastor,  as 
well  as  with  his  position  as  preceptor. 

During  this  time  he  also  taught  his  sister  and 
younger  brothers  at  home.  After  the  departure 
of  his  oldest  brother  he  became  the  head  of  the 
family.  The  amounts  that  he  received  as  pre- 
ceptor and  vicar  enabled  him,  in  considerable  part, 
to  provide  for  his  mother  and  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  the  family,  and  to  assist  his  younger  broth- 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  47 

era  in  their  education.  We  may  be  sure  that  the 
oldest  brother  did  not  cease  to  contribute  his  part 
toward  the  family  maintenance.  What  a  beautiful 
picture  we  have  here  of  family  interest  and  devot- 
eclness! 

But  Mr.  Otterbein's  sailing  was  not  all  smooth. 
It  was  at  this  time  and  in  these  circumstances  that 
the  occurrences  given  by  Rev.  H.  G.  Spayth  took 
place:  "  The  zeal,  the  devotion,  and  the  earnest- 
ness with  which  he  met  his  new  duties  surprised 
his  friends  and  astonished  his  hearers.  In  reproof 
he  spared  neither  rank  nor  class.  *  *  *  Opposi- 
tion and  clamor,  however,  had  the  tendency  to  add 
force  to  his  arguments  in  directing  his  hearers 
from  a  cold  formality  to  the  life  and  power  of  our 
holy  religion.  To  witness  the  good  impressions 
made  on  some  was  encouraging.  But  with  this 
came  also  fiery  trials  and  heavy  exercises  of  mind." 
When  the  authorities  were  "  privately  solicited  to 
arrest  his  preaching  for  a  season,"  his  mother  said 
to  him :  "  Ah,  William,  I  expected  this,  and  give 
you  joy.  This  place  is  too  narrow  for  you,  my  son ; 
they  will  not  receive  you  here;  you  will  find  your 
work  elsewhere."  She  was  often  heard  to  say,  "My 
William  will  have  to  be  a  missionary;  he  is  so 
frank,  so  open,  so  natural,  so  prophet-like."  * 

*  See  Spayth's  History  of  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ,  pp.  19  and  20. 
While  this  account  bears  evidence  of  general  correctness  in  its  facts,  it  yet 
Tails  to  recognize  the  extremes  that  existed  in  the  church, —  the  genuine 
ar.d  enlightened  Christianity  on  the  one  side,  and  the  laxness  and  irrelig' 
•  on  that  were  comprehended  on  the  other* 


48  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

The  opposition  may  have  been  at  Ockersdorf, 
or  at  Burg,  or  at  Herborn;  or  it  may  have  been 
at  all  of  these  places,  at  any  one  or  all  of  which 
his  mother  could  have  been  a  regular  hearer.  The 
condition  of  religion  in  Nassau  at  that  time  was 
low.  Among  the  students  at  Herborn  there  was 
not  always  the  most  becoming  deportment. 
Amidst  all  of  the  encouragements  to  study,  some 
were  idle  and  troublesome.  The  second  pastor 
was  extremely  sensitive,  and  disposed  to  bring 
charges  against  his  co-workers.  Mr.  Otterbein, 
on  his  part,  was  doubtless  as  well  qualified,  at  this 
time,  to  give  the  law  to  loose-livers  and  careless 
church-members,  as  ever  afterward.  If  he  met 
with  oppositions,  so  did  Edwards  and  Wesley, 
and  from  similar  causes.  But  the  only  authority 
that  could  put  a  restraint  upon  the  young  preacher 
was  that  that  had  appointed  him.  It  is  not  likely 
that  his  ministrations  were  even  temporarily  in- 
terrupted. It  is  certain  that  he  continued  in  his 
double  capacity  as  vicar  and  preceptor  until  he 
became  a  missionary. 

We  now  approach  the  period  of  Mr.  Otterbein's 
embarkation  as  a  missionary.  In  1746,  Rev.  Mi- 
chael Schlatter  of  St.  Gall,  Switzerland,  had  gone 
under  the  auspices  of  the  synods  of  North  and 
South  Holland  as  a  missionary  to  the  German 
Reformed  emigrants  in  Pennsylvania.     Owing  to 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIX.  49 

the  general  poverty  and  distress  in  Germany,  es- 
pecially in  those  districts  where  the  Reformed 
faith  was  predominant,  the  Germans  were  not  ahle 
to  help  their  brethren  in  the  far-off  provinces  of 
the  New  World.  At  this  time, —  let  it  always  be 
spoken  to  their  praise, —  the  Hollanders  under- 
took to  assist  the  spiritually  destitute  and  finan- 
cially helpless  Germans  in  America.  After  five 
years  of  labor  in  America,  Mr.  Schlatter  went  to 
Europe  and  presented  himself  before  the  classis 
of  Amsterdam,  to  which  had  been  committed  the 
supervision  both  of  the  Dutch  and  German  work 
in  America,  and  asked  for  further  assistance  in 
money  and  in  missionaries.  He  received  a  favor- 
able hearing  and  was  sent  on  to  Germany  and 
Switzerland  to  enlist  further  sympathy  and  much 
needed  co-operation.  He  was  especially  to  secure 
six  young  men  as  missionaries,  the  expense  of 
sending  whom  was  pledged  by  the  general  church 
of  Holland.  Mr.  Schlatter  applied  at  Herborn 
for  these  recruits,  and  met  with  hearty  assistance 
from  Drs.  Schramm  and  Arnold. 

Under  date  of  February  25th,  1752,  Dr.  Schramm 
wrote  in  the  record  of  the  Herborn  academy,  as 
follows :  "  Rev.  Schlatter  handed  me  the  list  of 
candidates  whom  he  desires  to  take  along  with 
him  to  Pennsylvania,  and  prays  that  we  give  them 
a  general  academical  testimonial.  Shall  they  have 
such?"  4 


50  LIFE    OF    OTTEKBEIN. 

The  second  professor  of  theology,  Dr.  John  E. 
Rau,  wrote  under  the  question:  "Yes.  I  hope 
there  is  no  one  that  would  not  rather  see  the 
ministers  desiring  this  recommendation  advanced 
to  work  in  a  foreign  land  than  in  their  home 
country." 

Though  the  young  ministers  were  spoken  of  in 
a  general  way  as  candidates,  the  preceptor,  Philip 
William    Otterbein,  was  one   of  the   volunteers. 

The  reader  will  not  be  displeased  to  find  given 
here  in  full  the  testimonial  given  to  Mr.  Otter- 
bein, as  drawn  up  in  behalf  of  the  faculty  at 
Herborn,  by  Dr.  Valentine  Arnold.  The  follow- 
ing is  the  testimonial : 

L.  S.  :  — 

Inhaber  dieses,  der  Wohl-Ehrwuerdige  und  Hochgelehrte 
Herr,  HI.  Philippe  Wilhelm  Otterbein,  ordinirter  Candidatus 
S.  Ministerii,  bisheriger  Praeceptor  am  hiesigen  Predagogeo 
und  nun  berufener  Prediger  in  Pensylvanien,  ist  am  4ten 
Juni,  morgens  zwischen  2  und  3  Uhr  im  Jahre  1726  zu  Dillen- 
burg,  von  ehrlichen,  und  der  Kvangelisch  Reformirtcn  Kirche 
zugethanen  Eltern  gebohren,  und  am  6ten  dito  zur  HI.  Taufe 
gebraclit  worden.  Sein  HI.  Yater  ist  gewesen  der  weyl.  Hoch- 
wohl  Ehrwuerdige  und  Hochgelehrte  Herr,  HI.  Johann  Daniel 
Otterbein,  ehedem  wohlmerirter  Rector  der  Lateinischen 
Schule  daselbst,  nachgehends  aber  treufleissiger  Prediger  bei 
deren  Gemeinde  Frohnhausen  und  Wissenbach,  welcher  am 
16ten  Nov.,  1742,  das  Zeitliche  mit  dem  Ewigen  verwechselt. 
Die  Frau  Mutter  ist  die  Hoch-Edle  und  tugendreiche  Frau, 
Frau  Wilhelmine    Henriette,  so    als  Wittwe  noch   Dato  am 

Leben  ist.      Sie    war    eine  geborne .      Taufzeuge 

war    HI.   Philippe    Wilhelm    Keller,   Hochfuerstl.      Nassau 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  51 

Dillenburgischer  Kuechenmeister,  als  naher  Anverwandter. 
Sr.  Wohl  -  Ebrwuerden  ist  in  der  Reformirten  Christl.  Re- 
ligion wohl  erzogen,  und  hierauf  zum  Mitglied  dieser  Kirche 
angenommen  worden,  hat  auch  jeder  Zeit  einen  ehrbaren, 
frommen  und  christlichen  Wandel  gefuehret,  und  nicht  nur 
mit  vielfaeltigem  Predigen  und  treuer  Verkuendigung  des 
goettl.  Wortes,  sowohl  in  dieser  Stadt,  als  auf  einem  nabe- 
gelegenen  bierher  gehoerigen  Dorfe  (wo  er  als  Vicarius  den 
hi.  Dienst  eine  geraume  Zeitlang  versehen)  und  an  andern 
Orten  mehr  gescheben,  sondern  auch  mit  seinera  gottseligen 
Leben  die  Gemeinden  erbaut.  Weshalben  wir  nicht  zweifeln, 
er  werde  auch  der  fuer  Ihn  bestimmten  Gemeinde  in  Pennsyl- 
vanien  treulich  und  fruchtbarlich  vorstehen.  Wie  wir  Ihn 
denn  zu  dem  Ende  des  Allmaechtigen  Schutz  und  Geleite  in- 
bruenstig  anempfehlen  und  Ihm  zudem  wichtigen  Werk,  wozu 
Er  berufen  worden,  und  sich  so  bereitfertig  linden  lassen,viele 
Gnade  von  Oben,  und  die  reiehsten  goettl.  Segen  von  Grund 
der  Seelen  anwuenschen.  So  geschehen,  Herborn,  im  Fuer- 
stenthum  Nassau-Dillenburg,  den  26ten  Februar,  1752. 

V.   Arnold, 
Professor  und  erster  Prediger  daselbsten. 

TRANSLATION. 

To  the  Reader,   Greeting: — 

The  bearer  of  this,  the  truly  reverend  and  very  learned  Mr. 
Philip  William  Otterbein,  an  ordained  candidate  of  the  holy 
ministry,  hitherto  preceptor  in  this  psedagogium,  and  now 
called  as  a  preacher  to  Pennsylvania,  was  born  June  4th,*  1726, 
in  the  morning  between  two  and  three  o'clock,  at  Dillenburg, 
of  honorable  parents  belonging  to  the  Evangelical  Reformed 
Church,  and  was  baptized  June  6th.  His  father  was  the  right 
reverend  and  very  learned  Mr.  John  Daniel  Otterbein,  formerly 
the  highly  esteemed  rector  of  the  Latin  school  at  Dillen- 
burg, but  afterwards  a  faithful,  zealous  preacher  to  the  congre- 
gations at  Frohnhausen  and  Wissenbach,  and  who  departed 

*  This  is  the  date  to  which  attention  has  already  been  called. 


52  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

from  time  into  eternity,  November  16th,  *  1742.  His  motbei 
is  the  right  noble  and  very  virtuous  woman,  Wilhelmina  Hen- 
rietta, her  maiden  name  being .  f      She  is  alive  at 

this  time  as  a  widow.  His  godfather  was  Mr.  Philip  William 
Keller,  steward  to  the  court  of  Nassau-Dillenburg,  who  was  a 
near  relative.  The  truly  reverend  Philip  William  Otterbein 
was  well  raised  in  the  Reformed  Christian  religion,  and  then 
received  as  a  member  of  this  church.  He  has  always  lived  an 
honest,  pious,  and  Christian  life ;  and  not  only  by  much 
preaching  and  faithful  declaring  of  the  word  of  God  in  this 
city,  as  also  at  a  near  affiliating  town  where  he  has  been  vicar 
for  a  considerable  time,  and  at  other  places,  but  also  by  his  godly 
life,  has  he  built  up  the  church.  Wherefore  we  do  not  doubt 
that  he  will  faithfully  and  fruitfully  serve  the  church  in  Penn- 
sylvania, to  which  he  has  been  called.  Therefore,  to  this  end, 
we  commend  him  to  the  protection  of  the  Almighty,  whose 
care  and  leading  we  pray  upon  him ;  and  we  pray  that  he  may 
give  him  much  grace  from  above,  and  the  richest  divine  bless- 
ing in  the  work  to  which  he  has  been  called,  and  to  which  he 
was  so  willing  to  go,  and  we  wish  him  from  the  bottom  of  our 
souls  success. 

So  done  at  Herborn,  in  the  principality  of  Nassau-Dillen- 
burg. February  26th,  1752. 

V.  Aknold,  Professor  and  First  Pastor. 

The  time  for  the  trial  of  the  mother's  faith  had 
come.  She  had  thought  of  a  mission-field  for  her 
son,  but  when  her  thought  seemed  to  be  taking 
the  form  of  a  fact,  her  motherly  heart  began  to 
sink.  "  ^he  hastened  to  her  closet,  and  after  be- 
ing relieved  by  tears  and  prayer  she  returned 
strengthened,    and   taking   her   William   by   the 

*  Mr.  Cuno  ^ives  November  14th  as  the  date, 
t  Thin  bWal'  \as  been  referred  to. 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  53 

hand  and  pressing  that  hand  to  her  bosom  she 
said,  '  Go ;  the  Lord  bless  thee  and  keep  thee. 
The  LordN  cause  his  face  to  shine  upon  thee  and 
with  much  grace  direct  thy  steps.  On  earth  I 
may  not  see  thy  face  again — but  go.' "  *  What 
tenderness,  and  yet  what  composure  and  strength! 
Much  more  was  evinced  than  mere  submission. 

Immediately  on  the  resignation  of  Philip  Will- 
iam Otterbein  as  preceptor,  his  brother  John 
Charles  obtained  a  place  as  preceptor  in  the  Her- 
born  school.  From  this  time  forward  the  mother 
had  her  home  with  him. 

Mr.  Schlatter  with  his  band  of  young  ministers 
went  first  to  Holland,  where  they  were  to  receive 
their  outfit  and  take  passage.  One  of  the  six, 
however,  like  John  Mark,  declined  to  go  to  the 
"work."  Yielding  to  the  entreaties  of  his 
mother,  he  shrunk  from  the  mission-field.  His 
place  was  at  once  taken  by  a  young  man  from 
Berg,  who  with  his  wife  joined  the  company  in 
Holland.  The  fellow-missionaries  of  Mr.  Otter- 
bein were  William  Stoy,  John  Waldschmidt, 
Theodore  Frankenfeld,  John  Casper  Rubel,  and 
Wissler,  the  candidate  from  Berg.  At  the  Hague 
the  young  men  passed  their  examination,  ap- 
proved themselves  by  preaching  trial  sermons, 
and  were  solemnly  consecrated  to  mission-work. 

♦Spayth's  History,  p.  21. 


64  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

those  that  had  not  "been  ordained  receiving  also 
ordination. 

The  missionaries  were  to  he  "  orthodox,  learned, 
pious,  and  of  humble  disposition;  diligent,  sound 
in  body,  and  eagerly  desirous  after,  not  earthly 
but  heavenly  treasures,  especially  the  salvation  of 
immortal  souls."  Besides  perquisites,  and  the 
amounts,  generally  ranging  between  eighty  and 
one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  that  the  fields  in 
America  might  supply,  they  were  to  receive  from 
Holland  a  stipend  of  "  forty  or  fifty  Belgic  flor- 
ins,"—  from  sixteen  to  twenty  dollars.  The  per- 
quisites would  perhaps  be  small  fees  for  marriages 
and  funerals,  and  house  and  fuel  free.  The 
method  of  apportioning  the  money  received  from 
Holland  was  soon  changed,  and,  as  a  result,  some 
of  the  missionaries  received  from  that  source 
alone,  but  for  a  short  time  however,  nearly  one 
hundred  dollars.  The  church  in  Holland  had 
also  incidental  expenses  to  meet,  amounting  to 
thousands  of  dollars.  But  from  Switzerland,  the 
Palatinate,  and  even  England,  generous  contribu- 
tions came. 

It  is  not  easy  to  estimate  the  enthusiasm  and 
steady  devotion  of  the  Hollanders  in  this  disin- 
terested work.  They  were  already  assisting  more 
than  one  hundred  needy  churches  in  Europe,  be- 
sides supporting  a  number  of  missionaries  in  the 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  55 

East  Indies  and  elsewhere.  At  the  same  time, 
however,  they  expected  the  churches  that  they 
assisted  to  imitate  the  strict  Calvinism  of  Hol- 
land itself.  When  the  first  help  was  rendered  by 
Holland,  about  1730,  the  Germans  were  required 
to  adhere  to  the  "  Heidelberg  Catechism  (the  Pa- 
latinate Confession  of  Faith),  the  Canons  of  the 
Synod  of  Dort,  and  the  rules  of  church  govern- 
ment of  Dort."  The  band  of  ministers  now 
referred  to  were  required  to  solemnly  bind  them- 
selves to  submit  to  the  "  Formula  of  Unity  of  the 
Netherlands."  The  "Formula  of  Unity"  is  a 
number  of  times  referred  to  in  the  Amsterdam 
correspondence,  but  whether  the  standards  as  a 
body  or  an  understood  abstract  of  them  is  meant 
it  is  difficult  to  determine.  In  their  own  country 
the  Germans  insisted  on  nothing  as  a  doctrinal 
standard  beyond  the  Heidelberg  Catechism. 

Toward  the  last  of  March  the  missionaries 
sailed  from  Holland,  and  the  night  preceding  the 
28th  of  July  they  landed  in  New  York,  the 
voyage  having  occupied  nearly  four  months. 
The  year  preceding,  Mr.  Schlatter  had  made  the 
voyage  from  America  to  England  in  five  weeks. 
Sometimes,  however,  in  going  over  this  same  line 
of  passage  six  months  were  consumed. 

Mr.  Schlatter  and  his  band  of  missionaries  were 
met  on  the  day  succeeding  their  arrival  by  Rev. 


56  LIFE    OF   OTTERBELN. 

John  Melchior  Muhlenberg,  the  eminent  pionee* 
missionary  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  who,  when 
the  young  ministers  were  introduced  to  him, 
quoted  to  them  the  appropriate  but  heart-trying 
language  of  Christ,  "  Behold  I  send  you  forth  as 
sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves;  be  ye  therefore 
wise  as  serpents  and  harmless  as  doves." 


CHAPTER  HI. 

MINISTRY   AT   LANCASTER. 

The  Germans  in  America  — Condition  of  Religion  —  Lancaster 

—  Success  of  his  Ministry — Crisis  in  his  Experience  —  Sig- 
nificance of  the  same  —  Case  of  Dr.  Hendel,  jr.  — Assurance 

—  The  Extremes  of  Formality  and  Capriciousness — Two 
Worthy  Types  Combined— The  End  of  Written  Sermons  — 
Calvinism  Forsaken. 

HEN"  Mr.  Otterbein  came  to  America, 
the  full  group  of  the  original  thirteen 
p  colonies  had  had  a  common  existence 
of  scarcely  a  score  of  years.  Thus  we  have 
to  do  with  provinces,  not  states.  .Nearly 
a  quarter  of  a  century  was  yet  to  elapse  be- 
fore the  era  of  independence.  Though  the  colo- 
nies presented  a  wide,  promising  view,  and  large 
accessions  were  yearly  made  to  the  population,  it 
is  yet  not  so  much  with  the  broad  areas  of  the 
country  and  the  body  of  the  population  with 
which  we  are  concerned.  It  is  rather  New  Ger- 
many —  Germany  transferred,  struggling  to  strike 
its  roots  into  the  soil  and  to  lift  and  extend  its 
branches,  crowded  upon  and  often  trampled,  yet 
Germany  still  —  that  we  seek  to  find  within  the 
borders  of  the  western  world. 

57 


58  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

The  Dutch,  or  Hollanders,  formed  trading- 
stations  in  the  state  of  New  York,  in  1614,  and 
after  1621  established  regular  settlements  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  state.  They  brought  with 
them  the  religion  of  their  country,  and  the  result 
of  their  early  migration  to  the  New  World  was 
the  establishment  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church 
as  one  of  the  earliest  Protestant  churches  of 
America. 

The  Germans  were  nearly  a  century  later  in 
coming  in  any  considerable  numbers  to  our  shores. 
Only  about  two  hundred  families  arrived  between 
1682  and  1702,  the  first  period  of  German  immi- 
gration. Between  1702  and  1727,  forty  or  fifty 
thousand  came.  They  came  mainly  from  the 
d.'/ti.cts  along  the  Rhine,  beginning  with  Hol- 
land and  inclut  ig  on  the  south  Switzerland, 
and  were  generally  called  Palatines,  a  very  large 
proportion  of  them  coming  from  the  Palatinate, 
an  important  country  of  the  middle  Rhine.  As 
with  the  English  settlers  in  America,  the  cause 
that  led  them  to  leave  their  homes  was  religious 
persecution  and  political  oppression.  The  cruel 
and  ambitious  schemes  of  the  powerful  Louis 
XIV.  of  France,  and  the  calamities  of  the  west- 
ern provinces  of  Germany  during  the  reign  of 
that  unprincipled  monarch,  were,  in  many  cases, 
the  direct  cause.    Louis  was  the  persecutor  of  the 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  59 

Huguenots  of  France  and  the  enemy  of  the  Prot- 
estants of  the  Netherlands.  In  1674  he  ordered 
the  devastation  of  the  Palatinate.  The  greatest 
of  calamities  seemed  to  fall  upon  the  common 
Protestantism  of  Europe  in  1685.  In  that  year 
James  II. —  Stuart  and  Catholic — became  king 
of  England,  Louis  XI^.  revoked  the  edict  of 
Nantes,  and  a  Catholic  became  elector  of  the 
Palatinate,  a  country  almost  wholly  Protestant. 
In  the  circumstances  of  the  change  in  the  Palat- 
inate, too,  Louis  contrived  a  pretext  for  claiming 
the  country  for  France.  By  his  orders  the  Palat- 
inate was  devastated  a  second  time  in  1688,  and 
again  in  1698.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  from  the 
wretched  provinces  of  the  Rhine  there  were  many 
that  sought  in  a  strange  land  the  rights  and  bless- 
ings that  were  denied  them  at  home? 

The  Mennonites  in  Switzerland  were  persecuted 
by  the  Reformed  and  Catholics  alike;  and  many 
of  them,  after  a  temporary  residence  in  Germany, 
sought  an  asylum  in  America.  By  the  bounty 
of  England,  some  of  the*  distressed  Palatines  were 
sent  to  Ireland  and  others  to  America.  The 
great  avenue  for  the  oppressed  Germans  and  Swiss 
was  through  Holland,  which  for  over  a  century 
had  afforded  a  generous  refuge  for  those  that  were 
persecuted  for  conscience'  sake.  The  German  ref- 
ugees almost  all  sailed  from  some  port  in  Hoi- 


e>G  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

land.  To  c  -i^ply  every  feature  in  the  picture  of 
the  general  oppression,  it  needs  only  to  be  said 
that  even  the  tolerant  and  generous  Hollanders 
could  not  permit  the  Lutherans  that  had  sought 
homes  in  Holland,  but  who  differed  from  them  on 
the  tenet  of  Calvinism,  to  live  peaceably  among 
them.  From  the  general  oppression  and  discon- 
tent it  is  easy  to  see  that  large  numbers  would 
flock  to  the  New  World. 

The  German  settlements  extended  from  the 
Carolinas  to  New  York.  Scattered  settlements 
existed  also  far  beyond  these  limits.  The  great 
majority  of  Germans,  however,  sought  homes  in 
Pennsylvania.  Here  they  constituted  about  one 
third  *  of  the  population,  occupying  almost  ex- 
clusively some  parts  of  the  country.  From  Penn- 
sylvania many  crossed  over  into  Maryland  and 
Virginia,  though  considerable  numbers  went  di- 
rectly to  these  provinces. 

In  1751  it  was  estimated  that  in  Pennsylvania 
there  was  a  German  population  of  ninety  thou- 
sand, thirty  thousand  of  the  number  being  tradi- 
tionally attached  to  the  Reformed  Church.  The 
Germans  were  without  a  knowledge  of  the  lan- 
guage of  the  provinces,  and  to  a  large  extent 

*  George  Thomas,  the  governor  of  Pennsylvania  from  1738  to  1746,  esti- 
mated the  proportion  of  Germans  during  his  administration,  at  three  fifths 
of  the  population,  the  entire  population  being  two  hundred  thousand.  The 
estimate  seems  to  be  much  too  hijrh. 


LITE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  Gl 

without  pastors  and  schools.  To  some  extent 
efforts  were  made  toward  the  supplying  of  these 

wants.  Their  English  neighbors  did  something, 
2hongh  their  part  was  mostly  one  of  indifference 
or  cupidity.  The  time  of  many  of  the  Germans 
yas  sold  for  a  term  of  years  to  pay  their  passage - 
.noney.  The  most  of  them  had  been  at  home  of 
me  peasant  class. 

Though  in  their  new  situation  they  were  gen- 
Tally  industrious  and  thrifty,  the  condition  of 
eligion  among  thern  became  the  most  deplora- 
ble. Common  observation  indicates  that  social 
influences  of  a  local  and  traditional  character 
are  all  but  necessary  in  preserving  men  in  their 
proper  religious  character.  The  crossing  of  the 
Atlantic,  or  of  the  Mississippi,  or  a  move  from 
the  country  to  the  city,  or  from  the  city  to  the 
country,  is  the  frequent  explanation  of  religious 
apostasy.  The  German  immigrants  brought  little 
in  the  form  of  religious  helps  with  them,  and  they 
found  the  least  in  their  new  settlements  that 
would  guard  and  nourish  spiritual  life.  In  their 
homes  in  Europe  religion  was  too  often  an  out- 
ward form ;  and  now  in  their  wilderness  homes, 
in  their  unwillingness  to  part  with  all  religion,  it 
was  to  too  great  an  extent  a  mere  dead  form  that 
they  made  more  or  less  effort  to  establish.  Their 
winds  were  hardened  by  the  treatment  that  they 


62  LIFE   OF   OTTERB1IN. 

met,  their  energies  were  taxed  in  ther  otrug^ta 
to  build  homes  and  secure  subsistence,  and  the 
very  atmosphere  of  the  New  World  encouraged 
a  wild  and  reckless  life. 

With  all  this  there  still  remained  something  in 
what  has  been  claimed  as  the  susceptibility  of  the 
German  heart  for  the  real  principles  and  require- 
ments of  the  Christian  religion.  In  all  of  the  past 
history  of  the  German  peoples,  they,  more  than 
all  others  have  been  noted  for  first  asking  the 
question,  "What  is  true?"  and  then  conceding 
the  binding  force  of  the  answer  that  is  returned. 
Too  commonly  men  first  question  the  wisdom  and 
rectitude  of  the  claims  that  are  made  upon  them, 
and  perhaps  never  get  beyond  taking  counsel  of 
their  own  desires.  If  men  will  follow  the  ra- 
tional method  and  first  ask,  what  is  true,  they 
will  surely  find  the  other  questions,  always  more 
difficult,  on  which  many  unprofitably  wear  out 
their  strength,  fully  solved,  and  the  ways  of  God 
fully  approved. 

Let  us  now  turn  our  attention  to  Mr.  Otterbein 
and  his  more  immediate  situation.  After  a  brief 
rest  in  New  York,  Mr.  Schlatter  and  his  company 
proceeded  to  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Otterbein  soon 
received  a  call  from  the  Reformed  congregation 
at  Lancaster,  which  he  accepted.  Twenty-three 
years  before  this  time,  Lancaster  County,  to  which 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  63 

reference  will  frequently  be  made,  was  cut  off 
from  Chester  County.  The  town  of  Lancaster 
was  laid  out  one  year  before  the  organization  of 
the  county,  and  soon  became  the  principal  town 
west  of  Philadelphia.  In  1751  it  contained  five 
hundred  houses  and  two  thousand  inhabitants. 
Soon  after,  it  was  spoken  of  as  "  a  very  respecta- 
ble and  wealthy  place."  But  it  was  not  until 
1792  that  the  turnpike  was  located  between 
Philadelphia  and  Lancaster, — the  first  located  in 
this  country,— and  not  until  several  years  later  that 
it  was  completed.  There  was  not  even  a  passen- 
ger stage-route  between  these  places  before  1784. 
,  Thus  we  see  how  new  and  unsubdued  the  country 
was.  Lancaster  County  was  largely  settled  by 
Germans  from  the  Palatinate  and  Nassau,  whose 
character  would  therefore  be  well  known  to  Mr. 
Otterbein. 

The  Lancaster  congregation  was  next  in  im- 
portance to  the  Reformed  congregation  in  Phila- 
delphia. But  notwithstanding  this  fact,  there 
had  been  frequent  vacancies  in  the  pastorate,  the 
congregation  being  without  a  pastor  fully  one 
half  of  the  time.  Some  that  sustained  the  rela- 
tion of  pastor  were  unwoiihy  men.  Some  of  the 
best  members  had  withdrawn,  and  those  that  re- 
mained were  in  a  sadly  demoralized  state.  For  a 
year  and  a  half  the  congregation  had  been  with- 


64  LIFE   OP   0TTERBEI3. 

out  a  pastor,  when  the  call  was  extended  to  Mr. 
Ojtterbein.  He  entered  upon  his  work  in  August, 
1752,  under  an  engagement  to  serve  the  congre- 
gation five  years.  He  also  was  to  preach  regu- 
larly, perhaps  once  per  month,  at  Xew  Providence, 
ten  miles  south-east  of  Lancaster. 

Notwithstanding  the  various  difficulties  in  his 
way,  he  labored  during  these  years  with  "  regular 
success."  During  his  second  year  the  little  log 
church  that  had  stood  since  1736,  was  replaced 
by  a  substantial  and  attractive  stone  church, 
which  continued  to  serve  the  congregation  for  a 
century,  lacking  one  year,  and  which  was  then 
"  too  good  to  be  torn  down."  We  may  as  well 
prepare  ourselves  to  witness  the  material  inter- 
ests that  were  promoted  under  Mr.  Otterbein's 
hand  every  place  where  his  labors  were  bestowed. 
He  was  acquainted  with  the  wisdom  by  which 
the  conditions  of  large  and  permanent  success 
are  supplied. 

But  he  failed  not  to  watch  also  over  the  spiritual 
condition  of  his  flock.  Mr.  Harbaugh  uses  the 
following  language  in  regard  to  his  general  vigi- 
lance and  success:  "Internally,  the  congregation 
greatly  prospered.  Evidences  of  his  order  and 
zeal  look  out  upon  us  from  tho  records  in  many 
ways;  and  enterprises  started  in  his  time  have 
extended  their  results  in  the  permanent  features 
of  the  congregation  down  to  this  day." 


LIFE    OP    OTTERBEIN.  65 

Having  served  his  term  of  live  years,  he  was 
anxious  to  withdraw  from  the  congregation.  The 
cause  of  dissatisfaction  was  the  irregularities  and 
laxness  that  had  grown  up,  at  least  in  part, 
through  the  frequent  vacancies  in  the  pastorate, 
and  that  had  "been  encouraged  by  the  influences 
of  the  times.  The  method  of  the  old  churches, 
by  not  drawing  the  lines  against  those  that  gave 
no  evidence  of  .godly  life,  left  pastors  to  be  em- 
barrassed by  the  wanton  and  wicked  lives  of 
many  that  held  a  place  in  the  church.  In  this 
condition  of  things,  Mr.  Otterbein's  desire  for  a 
spiritual  church  made  his  relations  exceedingly 
irksome.  "  He  complained  of  many  grievances 
.which  had  rendered  his  ministry  unhappy,  and 
demanded,  as  the  condition  of  his  continuance,  the 
exercise  of  a  just  ecclesiastical  discipline,  the  abo- 
lition of  all  inordinacy,  and  entire  liberty  of  con- 
science in  the  performance  of  his  pastoral  duties. 
All  this  was  readily  promised  by  the  congrega- 
tion." On  these  conditions  he  consented  to  re- 
main, but  for  no  specified  time. 

Among  the  papers  belonging  to  the  archives  of 
the  church  at  Lancaster  there  is  still  preserved  a 
manuscript  drawn  up  in  the  hand- writing  of  Mr. 
Otterbein  and  signed  by  eighty  male  members  of 
the  congregation,  through  which  it  was  sought  to 
introduce  the  improved  order  and  discipline  that 


66  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

had  been  promised.  The  following  is  the  paper, 
which  shows  at  the  same  time  the  character  of 
Mr.  Otterbein  as  a  pastor,  and  the  better  side  of 
the  congregation: 

"  Inasmuch  as  for  some  time  matters  in  our 
congregation  have  proceeded  somewhat  irregu- 
larly, and  since  we,  in  these  circumstances,  do  not 
correctly  know  who  they  are  that  acknowledge 
themselves  to  be  members  of  our  church,  espe- 
cially among  those  who  reside  out  of  town,  we,  the 
minister  and  officers  of  this  church,  have  taken 
this  matter  into  consideration,  and  find  it  necessary 
to  request  that  every  one  who  calls  himself  a  mem- 
ber of  our  church  and  wrho  is  concerned  to  lead  a 
Christian  life,  should  come  forward  and  subscribe 
his  name  to  the  following  rules  of  order: 

"  First  of  all,  it  is  proper  that  those  who  pro- 
fess themselves  members  should  subject  them- 
selves to  a  becoming  Christian  church-discipline, 
according  to  the  order  of  Christ  and  his  apostles, 
and  thus  to  show  respectful  obedience  to  ministers 
and  officers  in  all  things  that  are  proper. 

"Secondly:  To  the  end  that  all  disorder  may 
be  prevented,  and  that  each  member  may  be  more 
fully  known,  each  one,  without  exception,  who 
desires  to  receive  the  Lord's-supper,  shall,  previ- 
ously to  the  preparation  service,  upon  a  day  ap- 
pointed for  that  purpose,  personally  appear  before 
the  minister,  that  an  interview  may  be  held. 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEHT.  li? 

"  No  one  will,  by  this  arrangement,  be  deprived 
of  his  liberty,  or  be  in  any  way  bound  oppress- 
ively. This  we  deem  necessary  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  order;  and  it  is  our  desire  that  God  may 
bloss  it  to  this  end.  Whosoever  is  truly  concerned 
to  grow  in  grace  will  not  hesitate  to  subscribe  his 
name." 

Mr.  Otterbein's  second  term  of  service  contin- 
ued but  one  year.  In  1758  he  resigned,  with  the 
intention  of  visiting  his  native  land. 

Besides  the  local  work  at  Lancaster,  Mr.  Otter- 
bein  extended  his  labors  to  other  places.  In  1755 
he  was  placed  upon  "  two  committees  of  supply," 
which  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  preach  occa- 
sionally at  Beading,  and  at  Conewago,  now  in  Ad- 
ams County.  By  a  similar  arrangement  made  the 
following  year,  he  was  to  supply  the  charge  at 
York,  but  owing  to  the  peculiar  circumstances  at 
York,  he  was  certainly  kept  from  following  out 
the  plan.  In  1757  he  was  elected  president  of  the 
ccetus.  To  the  parochial  schools  he  sustained  the 
usual  relation,  and  also,  along  with  others,  sus- 
tained a  relation  to  an  important  educational  en- 
terprise, looking  toward  the  improvement  of  the 
Germans  generally. 

The  last  place  in  this  chapter  has  been  reserved 
for  the  account  of  a  great  crisis — one  might  say 
a  a  epoch — in  the  religious  history  of  Mr.  Otter- 


68  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

bein.  The  time  for  this  event  in  his  experience 
was  in  the  early  part  of  his  ministry  in  Lancas- 
ter, perhaps  in  the  year  1754.  This  is  the  date 
given  in  some  papers  left  by  Mr.  Spayth. 

After  Mr.  Otterbein  had  preached  an  earnest 
sermon  on  repentance  and  faith,  a  man  smitten 
with  conviction  came  to  him  for  advice.  The 
sermon  may  have  been  uttered  out  of  the  cryings 
of  his  own  heart,  and  may  have  expressed,  as  has 
been  the  case  in  so  many  instances,  his  own  deep- 
felt  wants.  At  all  events,  he  knew  not  what  an- 
swer to  give  to  the  awakened  man.  His  only 
reply  was,  "  My  friend,  advice  is  scarce  with  me 
to-day."  He  then  sought  his  closet,  and  ceased 
not  his  struggle  until  he  obtained  the  peace  and 
joy  of  a  conscious  salvation,  and  withal  that  en- 
lightenment in  spiritual  things  that  made  him,  in 
the  years  that  followed,  the  skillful  guide  to  so 
many  of  his  fellow-beings  into  the  way  of  life. 
Mr.  Otterbein  himself  is  the  authority  for  the 
greatness  of  the  change  that  took  place,  as  is  in- 
dicated by  his  answer  to  a  question  proposed  to 
him  by  Bishop  Asbury.  Mr.  Asbury's  question 
was,  "  By  what  means  were  you  brought  to  the 
gospel  of  God  and  our  Savior?"  The  answer 
was,  "  By  degrees  was  I  brought  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth,  while  I  was  at  Lancaster." 
The  answer,  of  course,  refers  more  to  the  appre 


LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN.  b9 

hension  of  the  truth  than  to  a  result  in  the  heart. 
Its  representation  of  the  greatness  of  the  change 
is,  therefore,  all  the  stronger. 

If  we  would  understand  the  subsequent  course 
of  Mr.  Otterbein,  and  the  differences  that  came  to 
exist  between  him  and  many  of  his  brethren  in 
the  church  to  which  he  belonged,  we  must  not 
hasten  too  rapidly  over  the  great  facts  in  his  own 
spiritual  history.     We  have  already  noticed  the 
impulse  to  practical  Christianity  that  he  received 
from  the  great  divines  of  the  Netherlands  through 
his  teachers,  Drs.  Schramm  and  Arnold.     Like- 
wise, the  influence  received  from  Pietism  has  been 
referred  to.    The  influences  exerted  upon  him  and 
his  brothers,  and  the  results  brought  about,  as  in- 
dicated in  the  preserved  writings  of  three  of  these 
brothers,  as  well  as  by  other  evidences,  were  de- 
cidedly  of    a   practical   and    experimental   type. 
The  early  earnestness    of  Mr.  Otterbein   in   the 
pulpit,  and  his  hearty  devotion  of  himself  to  the 
mission-field,  have  likewise  come  before  us.     His 
great  labor  and  success,  even  in  his  early  work  in 
Lancaster,  have  also  been  noticed.     What  more, 
then,  could  he  need,  and  what  more  could  be  re 
quired  of  him?     The  answer  that  he  gave  to  Mr. 
Asbury's  question  indicates  a  continued  struggle 
after  light  and  liberty.    We  have  noticed  also  the 
issue  of  that  struggle. 


70  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

But  what  was  the  character  of  the  change  re- 
ferred to?  The  easiest  answer  would  be  to  call  it 
conversion,  and  that  answer  might  be,  for  many 
purposes,  sufficiently  correct.  Popularly  and 
practically  the  term  conversion,  in  this  connec- 
tion, has  its  advantages.  But  nothing  in  Mr. 
Otterbein's  lauguage  or  in  the  facts  that  have 
come  down  to  us  would  shut  us  up  to  this  as  the 
only  view  of  the  case.  We  can  neither  deny  nor 
affirm  regeneration  of  his  earlier  state.  He  him- 
self had  no  ground  on  which  to  base  an  affirm- 
ation, and  this  uncertainty  is  itself  the  greatest 
condemnation  of  such  a  state.  The  doctrine  of 
a  living  faith  he  had  heard  from  believing  lips 
in  Herborn.  It  would  be  difficult  indeed  to  con- 
clude that  his  heart,  in  this  early  period,  was 
altogether  unacquainted  with  saving  grace. 

The  secret  seems  to  lie  in  this,  that  with  his 
catechetical  education,  his  life  as  student  and 
teacher,  and  his  early  work  as  a  minister,  he  held 
Christianity  predominantly  in  its  outward  char- 
acter. In  our  day  many  preachers  preach  the 
law  for  years  before  they  become  acquainted  with 
evangelical  liberty,  to  say  nothing  of  the  thou- 
sands in  the  laity  that  strive  to  serve  the  Lord  long 
years  before  they  come  to  know  the  gracious 
heritage  of  Christians.  Many  there  are  that  date 
the  beginning  of  their  spiritual  life  to  an  earlier 


LIFE    OF    OTTEKBEIN.  71 

or  later  period,  according  to  the  particular  view 
of  their  case  that  they  at  the  time  are  taking. 
John  Daniel  Otterbein,  the  father  of  Philip  Will- 
iam, was  by  no  means  so  much  inclined  to  a  sub- 
jective type  of  piety  as  were  some  of  those  that 
exerted  an  influence  upon  his  sons.  The  tradi- 
tions of  the  Reformed  Church  Avere,  for  the  most 
part,  in  favor  of  "  educational  religion."  We 
can,  therefore,  see  how  two  different  tendencies 
would  struggle  together  in  the  heart  and  life  of 
Mr.  Otterbein.  Those  familiar  with  the  biogra- 
phies of  those  that  have  grown  up  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  old  churches  of  Europe,  and  that 
have  afterward  become  eminent  for  their  evangel- 
ical life,  know  in  how  many  cases  the  contest 
against  the  powers  of  darkness  and  traditional 
ideas  was  long  and  painfully  waged.  Whatever 
may  be  our  ideas  as  to  Mr.  Otterbein's  spiritual 
state,  it  certainly  should  always  be  remembered 
by  us,  that  his  own  calm  judgment  near  the  close 
of  his  life  went  back  tenderly  and  gratefully  to 
the  period  of  his  ministry  at  Lancaster  as  includ- 
ing the  dawn  of  this  conscious  spiritual  life. 

If  there  was  an  earlier  experience,  it  was  yet 
clearly  this  later  experience  that  furnishes  the 
key  to  his  after-life.  It  was  this  present  conscious 
experience  that  he  ever  afterward  preached  as 
the  privilege  of  all  Christians.     He  believed  none 


iZ  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

the  less  in  the  outward  things  of  Christianity 
and  the  Christian  church  as  being  important,  but 
he  believed  with  his  whole  soul  that  outward  ele- 
ments are  worthless  to  those  that  do  not  inwardly 
appropriate.  He  believed  that  the  inner  life 
should  be  specifically  regarded,  and  that  while 
securities  and  nourishing  causes  are  drawn  from 
without  the  heart,  every  consideration  of  the 
soul's  welfare  requires  that  every  individual 
know  whether  the  proper  and  necessary  results 
are  secured  in  his  own  heart. 

The  case  of  Dr.  ¥m.  Henclel,  jr.,  the  son  of 
Dr.  Hendel,  the  close  friend  of  Mr.  Otterbein, 
seems  to  have  been  similar  to  that  of  Mr.  Otter- 
bein. His  outward  life  during  the  period  of  his 
ministry  was  circumspect,  and  his  ministerial  la- 
bors were  not  without  at  least  a  considerable 
measure  of  usefulness.  The  following  is  the 
account  of  the  case  of  Dr.  Hendel  as  given  by 
the  writer  of  an  obituary  sketch  in  the  German 
Reformed  Messenger  of  July  29th,  1846:  " Agree- 
ably to  his  particular  request,  it  becomes  my  pain- 
ful duty  also  to  advert  to  the  shady  side  of  his 
personal  history.  In  1842  he  caused  Bro.  Bucher 
of  Reading  to  be  sent  for,  and  made  to  him,  as  he 
lay  upon  his  couch,  an  extraordinary  confession: 
'Is  it  possible,'  said  he,  'that  there  is  mercy  for 
so  great  a  sinner  as  I  am.     I  am  even  a  greater 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  73 

sinner  than  was  Saul  of  Tarsus.  I  have  indeed 
had  the  theory  of  the  Christian  religion,  but  have 
never  personally  experienced  the  saving  power  of 
the  gospel  which  I  for  so  many  years  preached 
to  others.  In  my  youth  I  had  good  intentions 
and  lived  near  to  the  Savior;  but  alas!  I  went 
back  from  him.'  *  *  *  Mr.  B.  conversed  with 
him  for  about  three  hours,  when  at  length  he 
obtained  a  comfortable  sense  of  the  pardon  of  his 
sins,  and  joyfully  acknowledged,  '  I  have  now  for 
the  first  time  become  savingly  acquainted  with 
my  Savior;  now  I  live  in  him.'"  He  requested 
Mr.  B.  to  make  known  his  confession  as  a  warn- 
ing to  his  ministerial  brethren,  and  after  his 
death  to  make  known  the  same  to  his  former 
congregations.  His  request  was  complied  with. 
The  fact  that  Dr.  Hendel  made  his  statements 
four  years  before  his  death,  and  that  he  did  not 
subsequently  modify  or  recall  them,  evidently 
entitles  them  to  be  taken  as  calm  and  well  con- 
sidered. 

Bishop  Butler's  case  is  often  referred  to.  After 
his  great  services  to  Christianity,  he  was  in  great 
unrest  of  mind  as  to  his  own  salvation.  N"or  does 
his  doubt  s"eem  to  have  been  the  result  of  a  mo- 
mentary eclipse  of  faith.  In  some  cases  men  of 
high  natural  powers  seem  to  be  left  to  struggle  in 
the  dark,  almost  as  if  there  were  no  heaven,  that 


74  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIX. 

they  may  become  lit  instruments  in  working  out 
the  human  side  and  human  conditions  of  Chris- 
tianity. Such  may  have  been  the  case  with 
Bishop  Butler. 

The  new  fact,  which  now  became  a  doctrine 
with  Mr.  Otterbein,  was  that  of  assurance.  The 
doctrine  is  certainly  contained  in  the  Scriptures. 
It  belonged  to  the  faith  of  the  early  church.  It 
was  the  doctrine  of  the  Reformers.  Sir  William 
Hamilton  gives  the  following  testimony:  "Assur- 
ance, personal  assurance  (the  feeling  of  certainty 
that  God  is  propitious  to  me —  that  my  sins  are 
forgiven,  Jiducia,  'pleroiihoria  fidei)  was  long  uni- 
versally held  in  the  Protestant  communities  to  be 
the  criterion  and  condition  of  true  or  saving  faith. 
Luther  declares  that  he  who  hath  not  assurance 
spews  faith  out,  and  Melancthon  makes  assurance 
the  discriminating  line  of  Christianity  from  heath- 
enism." *  While  historically  it  may  not  be  quite 
correct  to  state  that  the  churches  of  the  Reforma- 
tion held  assurance  to  be  of  the  "  essence  of  faith," 
as  Hamilton  further  along  asserts,  it  is  yet  quite 
correct  to  say  that  in  the  time  of  the  Reformation 
assurance  was  always  implied  and  urged.  The  last 
utterance  of  the  lofty-minded  Olevianus,  given  in 
answer  to  the  question  whether  he  was  certain  of 
his  salvation,  was  a  glorious  certissimus,  most  cer- 


*  Discussions  on  Philosophy,  etc.,  p.  186. 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  75 

tain.  It  is  also  true  that  in  our  times,  by  all 
trustworthy  religious  teachers,  assurance  is  held 
as  in  the  strictest  sense  "  practical  and  oblig- 
atory." It  is  certain  that  Mr.  Wesley,  Mr.  Otter - 
bein,  and  others  of  pronounced  Christian  experi- 
ence, did  not  regard  their  own  conversion  as 
complete  until  they  reached  the  point  of  assur- 
ance. While,  therefore,  a  prior  work  Of  grace 
may  exist,  our  estimates  and  endeavors  are  to  be 
governed  by  a  rule  that  includes  all  of  the  ele- 
ments of  a  full  Christian  experience. 

But  more  than  once  the  important  practical 
doctrine  of  assurance  has  fallen  into  obscurity. 
In  the  closing  half  of  the  seventeenth  century  it 
began  to  break  forth  again  in  Holland  and  Ger- 
many. The  Pietists  spoke  of  a  "  sealing  "  in  their 
experience. 

In  England,  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth 
century  found  the  doctrine  generally  unknown, 
and  the  possibility  of  the  experience,  except  in 
rare  cases,  generally  denied.  Yet  since  1667  there 
had  been  in  England  the  noted  "  religious  socie- 
ties," which  soon  came  to  be  numerous.  These 
societies  were,  after  a  slight  declension,  revived 
by  the  Moravians.  They  possessed  a  large  meas- 
ure of  spiritual  light.  Wesley  became  a  member 
of  one  of  these  societies,  and  after  his  own  heart 
re-ached  the  goal  of  assurance  he  found  in  these 


76  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

societies,  in  the  different  parts  of  the  British 
Islands,  the  facilities  of  at  once  rapidly  and  suc- 
cessfully extending  his  work.  From  the  "  relig- 
ious societies  "  and  from  the  Moravians  he  drew 
much.  Luther's  preface  to  his  commentary  on 
Galatians,  however,  was  the  immediate  means  of 
bringing  Wesley  into  a  present  personal  conscious- 
ness of  salvation. 

If  our  later  times  have  gained  anything  beyond 
what  was  possessed  by  former  times, —  and  why 
should  they  not  make  some  advance? — the  gain  is 
in  the  direction  of  making  explicit  what  was  im- 
plicit, of  making  definite  and  practical  by  a  test- 
ing and  working  rule  what  was  more  or  less 
involved  and  confusing.  Though  the  doctrine  of 
regeneration,  or  conversion,  had  not  been  lost,  it 
came,  in  the  multitude  of  cases,  to  be  a  nullity, 
or  was  sadly  caricatured,  from  the  want  of  light 
and  test  in  applying  it. 

Thus  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  in  the  British 
Isles,  and  in  the  wilds  of  America,  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  seventeenth  century  and  throughout 
the  eighteenth  century,  the  practical  fruits  of  the 
cardinal  doctrines  of  Christianity  were  manifest- 
ing themselves.  Great  souls  were  struggling  in 
the  darkness,  but  near  enough  to  assist  them  were 
sooner  or  later  found,  to  their  surprise,  those 
whose  experience  could  have  assisted  them 
They  fought  the  battle  alone  —  yet  not  alone. 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  77 

Of  the  different  leaders  that  in  their  respective 
places  laid  the  foundation  for  an  advanced  and 
aggressive  Christianity,  Philip  William  Otterbein 
occupied,  among  the  increasing  German  popula- 
tion of  America,  a  position  altogether  his  own. 
To  say  that  he  was  the  first  ariong  the  Germans 
of  this  country  to  preach  the  truth  as  to  a  deep 
evangelical  experience,  would  not  be  true.  The 
Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit,  formed  ten 
years  before  Mr.  Otterbein's  coming  to  this  coun- 
try, presents  a  number  of  names  of  enlightened 
Christians.  But  their  field  and  their  type  of 
piety  were  peculiar.  Both  in  the  Reformed  and 
Lutheran  churches  there  was  need  of  the  heart 
elements  to  which  these  men  gave  prominence. 
If  there  were  presented  some  distortions,  over 
against  the  same,  in  the  churches  of  the  times, 
were  even  graver  defects.  The  condition  of  the 
Reformed  Church  had  not  been  one  of  peace  and 
agreement.  Many  that  had  a  lively  remembrance 
of  the  liberal  character  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  in  Europe  had  resisted  the  rigid  Calvin- 
ism that  began  to  prevail  through  the  patronage 
that  was  bestowed  by  the  church  of  Holland. 
This  rigor  in  doctrine  was  also  associated  with 
opposition  to  evangelical  tendencies.  The  Re- 
formed Church  on  its  part,  by  confusing  a  deep 
and  glowing  spiritual  life  with  the  unwarranted 


78  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

subjectivism  that  discovered  itself  more  or  less 
distinctly  in  the  adherents  of  the  Congregatior 
of  God  in  the  Spirit,  and  in  the  Moravians  as  a 
body,  and  by  thus  opposing  both,  laid  the  foun- 
dation for  many  difficulties  and  misfortunes  in  the 
years  that  followed. 

While  there  is  no  evidence  of  any  connection 
between  the  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit 
and  the  work  begun  by  Mr.  Otterbein,  there  were 
yet  elements  that  they  had  in  common,  and  oppo- 
sitions that  they  alike  experienced.  Those  con- 
nected with  the  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit 
were  Arminian  and  evangelical,  but  perilously 
subjective.  The  movement  under  Mr.  Otterbein 
was  Arminian  and  evangelical,  but  it  sought  to 
maintain  a  safe  relation  to  sober  and  recognized 
elements.  Yet  the  latter  movement  was  viewed 
by  some  as  too  subjective  for  health  and  safety. 

Some  have  endeavored,  leaving  out  of  view 
wild  and  spurious  extremes,  to  point  out  two 
types  of  piety, —  the  one  characterized  more  by 
the  subjective,  and  the  other  characterized  more 
by  the  objective.  The  former  is  spoken  of  as 
Platonic;  that  is,  contemplative,  looking  into 
the  feelings,  and  through  the  feelings  to  God  and 
divine  things.  It  looks  more  to  sanctification 
than  justification.  In  its  purer  and  loftier  forms 
it  bears  upon  its  forehead  the  mark  of  its  divinity, 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  79 

and  carries  about  it  an  atmosphere  more  of  heaven 
than  of  earth.  But  it  has  its  immiuent  perils  and 
its  specious  counterfeits.  The  other  type  might 
be  called  the  Aristotelian,  because  of  its  regard 
for  outward  things, — especially  form.  It  requires 
the  authentication  that  comes  from  a  wide  com- 
parison of  the  mind's  data.  It  leans  hard  upon 
the  Bible, —  the  objective  word.  It  lays  stress  on 
doctrine,  and  gives  prominence  to  the  law  and 
righteousness.  It  prizes  the  church  and  the 
ordinances.  With  it  the  constantly  recurring 
theme  is  justification, — the  most  objective  of  all 
the  Bible  doctrines  touching  man.  It  knows 
how  to  deal  with  earthly  things  and  builds  wisely 
and  lastingly.  It  is  likely  to  be  Calvinistic,  by 
placing  the  condition  as  well  as  the  source  of  sal- 
vation without  man.  This  type  has  likewise  its 
perils  and  deceptions.  Dead  forms,  which  cer- 
tainly can  do  nothing  for  religion  or  the  soul,  are 
the  frequent  cause  of  harm  and  offense. 

In  the  phase  of  Christianity  that  revealed  itself 
in  the  general  revival-movement,  above  referred  to, 
the  types  here  described  were  for  the  first  time,  to 
any  marked  degree,  consciously  combined.  Be- 
fore, in  all  genuine  Christianity,  they  had  existed 
in  "  unconscious  equipoise."  Though  slowly  devel- 
oping in  their  distinct  character,  and  though 
marked  by  sharp  contrasts,  they  had  long  been 


80  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

changing  eyes,  and  at  length  made  a  decisive  step 
toward  a  permanent  union.  If  we  can  properly 
appreciate  objective  elements;  if  we  can  take 
Christ  and- the  great  facts  of  his  redeeming  work, 
and  secure  as  an  experience  within  us  what  he 
has  done  for  us;  if  we  can  make  our  state  of 
grace  so  much  of  an  object  that  we  will  see  to  its 
special  promotion,  and  make  inward  assurance, 
upon  scriptural  grounds,  the  test  of  our  spiritual 
standing,  we  may  hope  for  the  greatest  advance 
in  Christ's  kingdom.  We  must  have  the  means 
and  securities  that  the  outer  affords.  It  is  the 
part  of  the  soul  to  receive  salvation  and  to  know 
inwardly  and  assuredly  that  it  rests  on  "  redemp- 
tion ground."  A  Christianity  properly  combining 
these  elements  can  nourish  in  the  noons  as  well 
as  in  the  twilights,  will  promote  righteousness  as 
well  as  revivals,  and  all  of  its  forms  will  exhibit 
the  pulsations  of  life. 

Let  the  whole  character  and  career  of  Mr. 
Otterbein  be  impartially  examined,  and  then  if 
there  should  be  those  that  conscientiously  think 
that  the  type  of  religious  life  manifested  in  his 
heart  and  life-work  was  less  comformable  to  the 
biblical  standard,  or  less  efficient  in  securing  the 
salvation  of  souls  than  the  prevailing  type,  let 
them  thus  continue  to  think.  Undoubtedly  some 
good  men  did  thus  think.   But  if  he  was  opposed 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  81 

even  by  some  good  men  that  misunderstood  him, 
or  by  evil  men  whose  opposition  to  the  gospel 
and  contention  against  him  were  one*  and  the 
same,  all  fair-minded  men  will  he  willing  that 
this  should  he  dispassionately  brought  to  view. 

In  their  character  and  course,  Mr.  Otterbein 
and  Mr.  Wesley  in  many  respects  resembled  each 
other.  While  they  were  independently  moved 
upon,  and  while  there  was  no  connection  between 
them,  they  each  were  joined  by  others,  who,  moved 
likewise  by  an  independent  impulse,  came  for- 
ward as  co-workers.  In  the  sphere  in  which 
Mr.  Otterbein  moved,  the  times  were  ripe.  The 
spell  of  mere  time-thoughts  was  breaking.  God's 
linger  was  moving  upon  the  dial  to  the  appointed 
hour,  and  chosen  men  were  preparing  to  appear- 
in  their  place. 

One  of  the  results  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  enlarged 
liberty  was  a  modification  of  his  manner  of 
preaching.  Before  this  he  had  used  manuscript 
in  the  pulpit;  but  now  lie  had  something  direct, 
practical,  experimental  to  urge  upon  the  people, 
and  found  manuscript  unnecessary  and  calculated 
to  trammel. 

It  would  be  deemed  ironical,  perhaps,  to  assert 
that  another  result  of  his  spiritual  enlightenment 
was  the  casting  off  of  any  Calvinism  that  may 
still  have  attached  to  him.     We  know  that  at  an 

6 


82  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

early  period  he  became  Arminian  in  theology. 
It  would  doubtless  be  erroneous  to  refer  his  pos- 
itive opposition  to  Calvin's  doctrine  of  predesti- 
nation to  a  date  much  anterior  to  his  going  to 
Baltimore,  though  the  contrary  doctrine  must 
long  before  have  obtained  practical  possession  of 
his  mind.  His  struggle  of  heart,  which  was  more 
or  less  protracted;  his  eifort  to  secure  practical 
attendance  to  the  claims  of  religion  on  the  part 
of  an  undisciplined  congregation;  his  determina- 
tion to  place  responsibility  on  the  people;  his 
practical  tendency  and  aversion  to  dogmatic  par- 
adoxes; his  experience  of  grace  so  freely  given; 
and  the  stirring  in  his  mind  of  the  lingering  in- 
fluences from  Melanchthon,  which  had  been  so 
deeply  planted  throughout  the  Rhenish  provinces, 
may  have  been  factors  in  producing  the  change. 


CHAPTEPv  IV. 

MINISTRY   AT    TULPEHOCKEN. 

The  Tulpehocken  Settlement  — The  Church— Pleasant  Feat 
ures  —  Stahlschmidt's  Testimony  —  Xew  Measures  —  The 
Prayer-meeting  —  Return  of  the  Social,  or  Laical  Spirit. 

HEltf  in  1758  Mr.  Otterbein  resigned  his 
pastorate  at  Lancaster,  be  expected  to 
3§S^>  *  visit  the  fatherland,  with  the  possibility 
Mm*  of  his  not  returning  to  America.  At  this 
time,  however,  France  and  England  were 
arrayed  against  each  other  in  America,  in 
what  is  called  the  French  and  Indian  War,  and  at 
the  same  time  were  hostile  parties  in  the  terrible 
Seven  Years'  War  in  Europe.  Passage  upon  the 
ocean  was  thus  full  of  peril,  and  on  both  sides  of 
the  Atlantic  fear  and  bloodshed  stood  in  the  face 
of  any  safe  or  comfortable  changes.  Besides,  it 
was  already  October  when  Mr.  Otterbein  resigned 
at  Lancaster.  In  this  condition  of  things,  he 
temporarily  took  charge  of  the  Reformed  church 
at  Tulpehocken. 

In  the  early  annals  of  Pennsylvania,  the  Tulpe- 
hocken country  holds  a  prominent  place.  The 
country  was  first  settled  by  refugees  from  the 

83 


84  LIFE    OP   OTFERBEIN. 

Palatinate  in  Germany,  who,  about  1709,  by  the 
commiseration  of  Queen  Anne  had  been  invited 
to  England,  and  thence  by  her  bounty  had  been 
transferred  in  1710  to  New  York.  In  171-3  one 
hundred  and  fifty  families  went  to  Schoharie, 
west  of  Albany,  where  they  settled  on  lands  that 
had  been  donated  for  their  use  by  an  Indian  chief, 
who,  while  on  a  visit  to  England,  had  looked  upon 
th  'r  distress  as  they  lay  camped  in  the  outskirts 
of  Loi.don.  Having  neglected,  in  taking  posses- 
sion of  their  lands,  to  comply  with  the  formalities 
of  thr  laws  of  New  York,  they  were  put  to  much 
distress;  and  at  length,  in  1723,  a  considerable 
number  of  families  moved  toward  the  Susque- 
hanna, floated  down  that  river  in  rudely  con- 
structed canoes,  and  after  many  hardships  reached 
the  Tulpehocken  country,  within  the  present  lim- 
its of  Berks  and  Lebanon  counties.  They  settled 
among  the  Indians,  as  it  was  not  until  nine  years 
later  that  the  territory  comprising  these  two 
counties  was  purchased  by  the  proprietary  gov- 
ernment. Soon  after  their  settlement  they  were 
joined  by  other  families  from  New  York,  and 
other  settlers,  mostly  Germans,  from  different 
places.  Thus  was  laid  the  foundation  of  an  in- 
dustrious and  self-reliant  population. 

The  term  Tulpehocken  was  applied  to  the  set- 
tlement from  the  name  of  a  creek  that  rises  in 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  85 

Lebanon  County,  and  flowing  easterly  empties 
into  the  Schuylkill  at  Reading.  The  name  of  the 
creek  was  itself  derived  from  the  name  of  a  tribe 
of  Indians.  The  settlement  proper  began  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Lebanon  Comity  and  extended 
twenty-two  miles  along  Tulpehocken  Creek  to  the 
vicinity  of  Reading.  As  the  name  of  an  old 
frontier  community,  the  designation  Tulpehocken 
was  as  well  understood  as  that  of  Reading  or 
Lancaster. 

The  church  that  furnished  the  chief  preaching- 
place  for  Mr.  Otterbein  was  situated  in  Lebanon 
County,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  the 
Berks  County  line.  The  present  church,  the 
third  in  order  erected  in  the  same  immediate 
vicinity,  stands  on  the  high  left  bank  of  the  Tul- 
pehocken, overlooking  the  rich  and  diversified 
country  about  it.  The  church  is  a  large,  substan- 
tial, and  fine-looking  stone  structure.  The  first 
church  was  a  large  wooden  building,  capable  of 
holding  six  hundred  people.  It  was  erected  in 
1745,  and,  when  Mr.  Otterbein  went  to  Tulpe- 
hocken, was  both  commodious  and  substantial. 
Mr.  Schlatter,  in  the  first  year  of  his  labors  in 
America,  came,  in  company  with  two  other  min- 
isters, to  Tulpehocken,  and  preached  to  a  large 
congregation.  At  this  time  the  people  "  could 
not  conceal  their  exceeding  joy  and  surprise  ia 
seeing  three  ministers  together  at  one  time." 


86  LIFE    OP    OTTERBEIN. 

Mr.  Otterbein's  immediate  predecessors  in  the 
pastorate  were  Revs.  Stoy  and  Waldschmidt,  two 
of  the  young  ministers  in  company  with  whom 
he  came  to  America.  "With  the  rapid  filling  up 
of  the  country,  with  faithful  ministerial  work, 
and  with  the  lapse  of  a  few  years,  it  would  be 
natural  to  expect  that  the  Tulpehocken  church 
would  become  large  and  strong.  And  this  would 
doubtless  have  been  the  case  had  it  not  been  for 
the  atrocities  and  depredations  of  the  French  and 
Indian  War.  For  nearly  three  quarters  of  a  cent- 
ury Pennsylvania  had  been  spared  the  terrors  and 
calamities  that  came  to  all  of  the  other  colonies 
by  the  hatchet  and  scalping-knife  of  the  Indians. 
In  1754  Pennsylvania  ceased  to  be  an  exception 
in  this  respect,  and  after  Braddock's  defeat  in 
1755,  no  frontier  settlement  escaped  the  horrors 
of  bloody  massacres  and  wasted  homes.  A  long 
list  of  murders  and  paralyzing  frights  mark  the 
portion  that  fell  to  the  people  of  Berks  and  Leb- 
anon counties.  The  following  extract  from  a  let- 
ter  written  in  1755  to  Governor  Morris  by  Conrad 
Weiser,  then  residing  at  Tulpehocken,  indicates 
the  danger  of  the  times,  as  well  as  the  spirit  of 
the  people:  "  My  company  had  now  increased  to 
about  three  hundred  men,  mostly  well  armed, 
though  about  twenty  men  had  nothing  but  axes 
and  pitchforks.     All  unanimously  agreed  to  die 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  87 

together,  and  to  engage  the  enemy  wherever  we 
-hould  meet  them,  and  so  obstruct  their  way  of 
marching  further  into  the  inhabited  parts,  till 
others  of  our  brethren  could  come  up  and  do  the 
same,  and  so  save  the  lives  of  our  wives  and  our 
children.'"'  * 

The  depredations,  though  much  abated  after 
1756,  still  continued  till  1763.  Mr.  Otterbein  had 
rather  to  contend  against  the  desolations  that  had 
already  been  made  than  to  face  new  atrocities. 
Yet  the  rapidity  with  which  prosperity  would 
again  manifest  itself  when  once  the  destroyers 
could  be  held  at  bay,  would  be  a  surprise  to  any 
one  unacquainted  with  frontier  or  provincial  life. 

It  has  been  supposed  from  some  early  refer- 
ences, that  Mr.  Otterbein  served  a  charge  of  two 
comparatively  equal  congregations;  but  there 
seems  to  be  no  valid  ground  for  this  opinion.  St. 
Jacob's  (Quitapahilla)  Church,  about  three  miles 
north  of  Lebanon,  was  perhaps  the  second  church 
spoken  of  as  connected  with  the  Tulpehocken 
church  in  1746,  but  already  in  1747  it  became 
part  of  a  separate  charge.  He  doubtless  preached 
occasionally  for  this  congregation;  but  this  would 
have  been  merely  to  supply  the  place  of  old 
Father  Templeman,  who  from  affliction  was  un- 
able to  perform  all  of  his  duties  as  pastor  between 

*  Rupp's  History  of  Berks  and  Lebanon  counties,  pp  44,  45. 


88  LIFE    OF    OTTEP.BEIN. 

1757  and  1760.  This  assistance  neighboring  min- 
isters had  promised  to  render.  Mr.  Otterbein's 
ministry  was  likely  employed  more  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Reading,  where  he  may  have  regularly 
served  one  or  more  congregations,  besides  preach- 
ing at  the  church  already  described.  While  he 
does  not  seem  to  have  had  as  many  regular 
preaching-places  as  some  others  that  preached 
at  Tulpehocken,  his  ministry,  in  one  form  and 
another,  took  an  ample  range. 

As  might  have  been  expeeted  from  their  history, 
the  people  of  Tulpehocken  hud  marked  and  stub- 
born peculiarities.  When  annoy jd  by  'lie  TvUtho 
ities  of  New  York,  they  beat  the  officers  that 
were  sent  to  dispossess  them.  In  Pennsylvania 
they  were  very  much  afraid  of  sects  and  new 
opinions  in  religion,  and  raised  Avail  against  all 
intrusion  of  this  character.  But,  to  quote  from 
Dr.  Harbaugh,  "  As  is  too  often  the  case  in  their 
zeal  to  keep  fanatics  out  of  their  circle,  they  were 
not  so  diligent  as  they  should  have  been  to  cher- 
ish the  true  Christian  spirit  within."  Just  as 
might  have  been  anticipated,  they,  by  not  seeking 
to  know  the  truth,  and  to  nourish  within  them- 
selves a  true  spiritual  life,  prepared  themselves 
for  the  wildest  freaks  of  fanaticism.  When  Con- 
rad Beissel  of  the  anomalous  Protestant  monastic 
society  at  Ephrata  went  into  the  "  dark  region  of 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  89 

Tulpehocken,"  lie  found  a  ripe  field  for  his  vaga- 
ries. The  spirit  of  resistance  to  innovations  in 
Tulpehocken  manifested  itself  as  late  as  1829  in 
a  famous  meeting  of  indignant  "freemen"  to 
protest  against  "  Bible  and  missionary  societies, 
theological  seminaries,  and  Sunday-school  unions," 
as  "  works  of  supererogation,"  and  to  assert  the 
rightfulness  of  "hilarity"  and  "innocent  amuse- 
ments." Between  the  shadows  of  the  earlier  and 
the  later  times,  let  us  see  if  we  can  find  a  green 
spot  for  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Otterbein.  But  it 
must  not  be  supposed  that  all  was  dark  outside 
of  his  short  term,  or  that  all  within  this  term  was 
bright. 

With  all  the  allowances  that  have  to  be  made, 
his  two  years  at  Tulpehocken  were,  in  some  re- 
spects, the  Galilean  period  of  his  ministry.  Bou- 
tine  duties  did  not  so  fully  engage  him  as  was  the 
case  at  Lancaster.  Notwithstanding  the  proverb- 
ial stubbornness  of  the  people,  his  spirit  had  a 
sufficient  sphere  in  which  to  abound,  and  no  bar- 
riers were  strong  enough  to  keep  him  from 
grounding  himself  in  the  affections  and  esteem 
of  the  people.  Doubtless  some  true  spiritual 
seed  had  been  placed  in  the  minds  of  the  people 
by  religious  books  that  had  been  given  to  the 
refugees  by  the  court-chaplain  of  St.  James,  be- 
fore their  departure  from  London.     The  principal 


90  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEDT. 

one  of  these  books,  a  book  whose  fruit,  were  often 
met  in  America,  was  Arndt's  True  Christianity. 
The  following  from  a  book  written  by  Rev. 
John  Christian  Stahlschmidt  indicates  the  esteem 
in  which  he  was  held,  after  a  separation  of  thir- 
teen years  from  the  Tulpehocken  people,  as  well 
as  his  friendly  relations  with  the  author  of  the 
book:  "  In  tlu  early  spring  Mr.'Otterbein  came 
to  Lebanon  to  vioit  a  fric  d  named  St^y,  who 
had  gone  to  that  country  with  him  as  a  theolo- 
gian, but  who  now  was  a  practicing  physician. 
With  Mr.  Stoy  I  was  well  acquainted,  and  as  I 
visited  him  sometimes  I  found  Mr.  Otterbein 
with  him,  and  learned  for  the  first  time  to  know 
him  personally.  He  was  a  very  gentle  and 
friendly  man,  and  because  of  his  pious,  godly 
manner  of  life  was  highly  esteemed  throughout 
the  land.  He  showed  to  myself,  after  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  form  his  acquaintance,  much 
friendship  and  kindness,  for  which  I  also  make 
my  hearty  acknowledgment.  He  is  the  only  one 
in  that  country  with  whom  I  now  have  a  corre- 
spondence. After  I  had  a  long  talk  with  him, 
and  he  through  his  friendliness  had  obtained  my 
confidence,  I  confessed  to  him  my  outward,  and 
in  some  measure  my  inward  condition.  He  took 
a  sincere  interest  in  the  same;  and  because  he 
knew  the  house  where  I  was  staying,  he  told  me 


Adtfii  OF  OTTERBEIS.  91 

that  I  might  come  to  him  at  York,  where  he  was 
then  preaching,  and  that  he  would  then  see  what 
would  be  best  for  me  to  do.  The  state  of  my 
mind  I  could  tell  to  no  one,  for  I  did  not  know  it 
myself.  In  the  many  storms  of  life  I  had  lost 
sails,  masts,  rudder,  and  compass,  and  my  ship 
was  tossed  hither  and  thither;  but  the  Lord  was 
guiding  it  nevertheless.  *  *  *  I  was  more  than 
six  weeks  with  Mr.  Otterbein  at  York,  and 
preached  twice  in  town  and  once  in  the  country. 
I  told  Mr.  Otterbein  that  as  far  as  I  was  ac- 
quainted with  myself  I  could  not  go  on  preach- 
ing, as  I  did  not  feel  liberty  enough.  He  told  me 
that  I  ought  not  to  preach  unless  I  had  full  lib- 
erty of  mind  toward  it."  * 

The  author  of  the  book  from  which  the  above 
extract  is  taken  was  well  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Otterbein.  "When  about  to  return  to  Europe  he 
spent  three  weeks  with  him  at  Baltimore.  He 
afterward  became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Otter- 
bein's  youngest  brother.  Mr.  Stahlschmidt  hac1 
made,  before  his  coming  to  America,  two  visits 
to  the  famous  Tersteegen,  and  had  been  encour 
aged  and  instructed  by  him.  In  the  longing  for 
purity  of  heart  and  in  the  appreciation  of  spirit- 
ual religion,  Otterbein  and  Stahlschmidt  were 
alike;  though  the  former  was  not  made  halting 

*  Pilgerreise,  288-290. 


92  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

and  unpractical  by  the  one-sided  mysticism  of  the 
latter. 

The  condition  of  the  German  churches  being 
what  it  was,  one  can  easily  see  that  trial  and 
labor  would  fall  to  the  lot  of  Mr.  Otterbein  dur- 
ing his  term  at  Tulpehocken.  lie  could  not  suit 
his  ministrations  to  the  prevailing  taste.  As  has 
already  been  seen,  his  spiritual  susceptibilities  re- 
ceived special  quickening  while  he  was  at  Lan- 
caster. The  difficulties  at  Tnlpehocken  only 
served  to  draw  him  out  in  new  efforts  for  the 
salvation  of  the  people.  He  preached  on  week- 
days as  well  as  on  Sunday,  and  visited  and  ex- 
horted old  and  young  at  their  homes.  He  intro- 
duced evening  meetings  for  prayer  and  personal 
instruction.  "  On  these  occasions  his  custom  was 
to  read  a  portion  of  scripture,  make  some  practi- 
cal remarks  on  the  same,  and  exhort  all  present 
to  give  place  to  serious  reflections.  He  would 
then  sing  a  sacred  hymn,  and  invite  all  to  kneel 
and  accompany  him  in  prayer.  At  first,  and  for 
some  time,  but  few,  if  any,  would  kneel,  and  he 
was  permitted  to  pray  alone.  *  *  *  After  prayer 
he  would  endeavor  to  gain  access  to  their  hearts 
by  addressing  them  individually  with  words  of 
kindness  and  love."  *  These  meetings  while 
prayer-meetings,   were    social    meetings    in    the 

*  Spayth,  pp.  23,  24. 


LITE    OF   OTTERBBIN.  93 

broadest  sense.  The  effect  of  these  endeavor? 
was  such  as  might  have  been  expected.  Some  of 
the  people  became  awakened  and  wept  over  their 
lost  condition,  and  others  mocked;  but  the  work 
went  forward.  These  meetings  were  an  advance 
upon  the  interviews  before  communion  that  were 
provided  for  at  Lancaster,  and  they  seem  to  have 
been  entirely  new  to  the  English  as  well  as  to  the 
Germans  in  America.  Mr.  Otterbein,  however, 
was  not  moving  without  precedent. 

The  precedent  was  not  so  much  in  such  meet- 
ings as  the  "  colleges  of  piety  "  of  Spener,  or  the 
meetings  of  the  "religious  societies"  in  England. 
Wesley's  class-meetings,  likewise,  were  not  prayer- 
meetings.  As  early  as  1742  Wesley  appointed 
special  meetings  for  prayer,  but  they  were  not 
stated  prayer-meetings.  About  1692  Francke  in- 
troduced prayer-meetings  in  Halle.  About  1709 
Porst  introduced  them  in  Berlin.  The  fact  that 
in  1749  Mr.  Otterbein  was  required  to  hold  a  reg- 
ular weekly  prayer-meeting  has  already  been  no- 
ticed. When  the  prayer-meeting  was  introduced 
at  Tulpehocken,  there  was  perhaps  not  another 
of  the  kind  in  this  country.  In  Scotland,  Amer- 
ica, and  elsewhere  there  had  been  meetings  for 
prayer  during  seasons  of  calamity,  or  during  sea- 
sons of  special  grace,  but  they  did  not  belong  to 
the  scheme  of  regular  appointments.    Dr.  Hendel, 


94  LIFE    OF    OTTERBUN. 

between  1782  and  1795,  held  regular  prayer-meet- 
ings every  Thursday  evening.  But  in  the  ab- 
sence of  all  modern  precedents,  Mr.  Otterbein 
would  have  had  a  warrant  from  the  nature  of 
Christianity  and  the  nature  of  man  that  would 
have  met  the  case.  The  Christianity  of  the  Bi- 
ble is  eminently  social  and  unincumbered.  But 
the  laity  became,  in  the  course  of  time,  supplanted, 
except  in  a  liturgical  way,  in  the  part  in  worship 
that  it  was  necessary  for  their  good  that  they 
perform.  The  social  character  of  Christianity 
has  had  enemies  to  meet  from  the  most  opposite 
sources.  John  Wesley  in  1729  himself  needed 
the  following  energetic  address:  "Sir,  you  wish 
to  serve  God  and  go  to  heaven.  Remember  you 
can  not  serve  him  alone.  You  must  therefore 
find  companions  or  make  them.  The  Bible  knows 
nothing  of  a  solitary  religion."  The  deadness  of 
the  regular  ministry,  and  of  professed  Christians 
in  general,  was  the  natural  result  of  this  most 
unnatural  silence  and  inactivity  in  the  body  of 
the  church.  God  meant  to  bring  the  laity  out 
from  this  forced  seclusion.  Under  an  impulse 
manifesting  itself  independently  in  many  hearts, 
often  not  unaccompanied  by  unsafe  elements  and 
destructive  tendencies,  the  movement  made  it- 
self felt  in  many  different  countries.  "While  in 
some  instances  those  already  earnest  in  religion 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  95 

drew  near  to  one  another  and  dared,  in  isolated 
groups,  to  reveal  the  story  of  their  hearts,  Mr. 
Otterbein  had  in  the  first  place,  under  God,  to 
raise  up  such  a  people,  and  then  to  make  them 
helpers  one~of  another,  and  fellow-laborers  with 
himself,  in  the  work  of  Christ.  In  the  preceding 
chapter  we  saw  that  Mr.  Otterbein  was  committed 
to  the  idea  of  a  spiritual  church.  T\re  may  now 
add  to  this  principle  of  his  life,  his  commitment 
to  the  lay,  or  social  element  in  worship,  and  in 
the  work  of  the  church. 

It  must  not  be  understood  that  at  this  time  he 
meant  to  be,  or  understood  himself  to  be,  in  an- 
tagonism to  the  authorities  of  the  Reformed 
Church.  He  felt  that  there  was  but  one  course 
for  the  church  to  pursue.  But  in  America,  where 
the  necessity  of  lay  co-operation  was  the  most 
urgent,  opposition  of  the  most  contracted  and 
vituperative  nature  was  made. 

A  letter  written  by  Mr.  Otterbein  in  1759  to 
Rev.  Conrad  Stein er,  indicates  his  regard  for 
church-order,  and  his  views  as  to  the  state  of  the 
church.  Mr.  Steiner  was  evangelical  in  his  views, 
and  was  a  talented  and  effective  preacher.  Mr. 
Otterbein  was  his  close  friend.  Mr.  Steiner  had 
been  unfortunate,  if  not  at  fault,  in  being  the 
occasion  of  serious  trouble  in  the  church  at  Phil- 
adelphia,  and    subsequently   became   located    at 


96  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

Frederick,  Maryland.  The  course  of  Mr.  Steiner 
in  accepting  in  1759  a  call  irregularly  made,  which 
took  him  back  to  Philadelphia,  was  the  occasion 
of  Mr.  Otterbein's  writing  to  him.  The  following 
are  extracts  of  the  letter:  "I  confess  that  your 
unexpected  and  almost  clandestine  removal  to 
Philadelphia  has  not  pleased  me.  I  have  lately 
written  to  you  my  views  on  this  matter,  but  the 
letter  has  been  lost;  hence  I  take  the  liberty  to 
write  you  now.  To  speak  plainly  upon  the  mat- 
ter,— if  I  am  wrong  I  desire  to  be  corrected, —  I 
can  just  as  little  regard  your  present  call  to  Phil- 
adelphia as  being  divine,  as  I  am  convinced  of 
the  opposite  in  regard  to  the  first.  Then  you 
lamented  that  you  labored  in  vain.  What  offense 
and  disturbance  did  it  then  occasion!  But  has 
all  of  this  together  with  the  disinclination  to- 
ward your  person  now  subsided?  Has  the  com 
gregation  united,  or  is  this  still  wanting?  Will 
.you  not,  therefore,  be  in  danger  of  again  laboring 
in  vain?  Be  assured  that  I  wish  it  may  not  be 
so;  and  I  will  rejoice  if  God  will  truly  unite  the 
church  in  love  one  with  another,  and  toward  you 
personally,  and  build  it  up  through  your  instru- 
mentality. But  as  the  first  attempt  has  so  far 
failed,  there  is  no  hope  for  the  last. x  I  will  not 
say  that  you  should  never  again  have  gone  to 
Philadelphia;  but  taking  it  for  granted  that  yon 


LIFE    OF   OTTEKBEIN.  97 

have  been  divinely  impelled  to  take  this  step, 
would  not  the  matter  have  been  much  more  hon- 
orable to  you,  if  you  had  made  it  known  to  at 
least  some  of  the  ministers?  It  would  not  then 
have  been  such  cause  of  offense  either  to  the  con- 
gregation at  Fredericktown,  or  to  others.  All 
that  are  acquainted  with  the  matter,  and  that 
have  before  esteemed  you,  speak  evil  of  it.  *  *  * 
It  is  true  the  condition  of  the  coetus  is  discourag- 
ing. But  ought  you,  in  deference  to  the  synods 
of  Holland,  to  have  acted  in  this  manner?  And 
if  the  coetus  had  resisted  their  decision,  which  I 
do  not  believe,  you  might  then  have  acted  accord- 
ing to  your  conscience  and  been  excusable.  Why 
do  we  constantly  annoy  one  another?  Why  do  we 
misunderstand  one  another?  What  will  be  the 
final  result  of  all  this?  When  I  consider  our 
whole  cause  I  feel  too  certain  that  God  has  given 
up  the  pastors  and  people." 

Mr.  Otterbem  continued  at  Tulpe"hocken  two 
years,  "  with  great  blessings  upon  hie  labors,"  and 
then  resigned  to  go  to  a  larger  and  more  labori- 
ous field.    7 


CHAPTER  V. 


MINISTRY   AT   FREDERICK. 


Character  of  the  Congregation  —  Various  Interests  Advanced 
—  Oppositions — Calls  to  Other  Places  —  Marriage— The  Le- 
Roy  Family — Death  of  Mrs.  Otterbein. 

jST  August,  1760,  Mr.  Otterbein  accepted 
a  call  from  the  Reformed  congregation  at 
Frederick,  Maryland.  The  year  previous 
he  had  received  a  call  from  the  same  congre- 
gation, but  at  that  time  he  still  hoped  to 
make  his  visit  to  Germany,  and  so  declined  the 
call.  As  the  French  war  continued,  and  as  the 
need  of  laborers  in  America  was  so  great,  he  con- 
cluded to  again  defer  his  visit.  In  a  letter  writ- 
ten early  in  1760  to  the  synods  of  Holland,  the 
following  passage  occurs :  "  We  announce  with 
pleasure  that  Dominie  Otterbein  has  determined 
to  remain  longer  with  us.  He  still  labors  with 
great  energy  and  success  in  Tulpehocken.  Occa- 
sionally he  makes  a  journey  to  Fredericktown,  iu 
Maryland,  in  order  to  keep  together  the  sheep 
who  were  left  without  a  shepherd  by  Domini. 
Steiner,  and  to  feed  them  with  the  word  of  GoC. 
He  wavS  influenced  to  accept  the  second  call   ,en- 

0R 


LIFE    OF    GTTERBEIN.  99 

ciered  liim  chiefly  by  the  fact  that  the  Frederick 
congregation,  being  remote  from  other  congre- 
gations, could  not  so  easily  be  supplied  by  neigh- 
boring pastors. 

Of  the  German  population  about  Frederick,  in 
Frederick  County,  some  came  directly  from  the 
Palatinate,  in  Germany,  about  1712,  but  a  larger 
number  came  from  the  middle  colonies.  What 
was  true  of  the  settling  of  the  Germans  in  Fred- 
erick County,  was  true  in  general  of  the  settling 
of  the  Germans  in  the  different  parts  of  Mary- 
land and  in  Virginia. 

The  congregation  at  Frederick,  at  first  called 
the  Monocacy  congregation,  was  formed  in  1747, 
two  years  after  the  laying  out  of  the  town  of 
Frederick.  The  congregation  was  made  up 
mostly  of  thrifty  land-holders,  occupying  a  wide 
territory  about  the  newly  laid-out  town.  The 
communicants  numbered,  when  Mr.  Otterbein 
assumed  charge,  about  two  hundred.  His  prede- 
cessors in  the  pastorate  were  Rev.  Theodore 
Frankenfeld,  one  of  the  six  young  ministers,  and 
Rev.  John  Conrad  Stein er,  before  referred  to. 
The  history  of  the  congregation  had  been  marked, 
for  the  most  part,  by  exceptional  harmony  and 
prosperity. 

Mr.  Schlatter,  on  his  visit  to  the  congregation 
in  1747,  said,  "I  must  say  of  this  congregation 


100  *JFE    OF    OTTIRBEIN. 

that  it  appears  to  me  to  be  one  of  the  finest  in  the 
whole  land,  and  one  in  which  I  have  found  the 
most  traces  of  the  true  fear  of  God;  one  that  is 
free  from  the  sects,  of  which,  in  other  places,  the 
country  is  full."  While  the  ccetus  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  received  congregations  in  Mary- 
land, the  authorities  in  Holland  had  little  to  do 
with  congregations  outside  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
Schlatter's  part  outside  of  Pennsylvania  would  be 
almost  correspondingly  less.  There  was  therefore 
in  Maryland  much  less  of  strenuousness  in  intro- 
ducing a  rigorous  and  one-sided  church-order.  Mr. 
Schlatter  was  a  strong  and  good  man,  but  acting 
under  the  appointment  of  the  synods  of  Holland, 
and  following  his  own  disposition  as  well,  he  gave 
more  attention  to  warding  against  "  sects,"  and 
introducing  "  order,"  than  to  planting  and  extend- 
ing the  gospel  leaven.  In  Maryland  it  would 
have  been  comparatively  easy  to  give  to  evangel- 
ical elements  a  decided  preponderance,  notwith- 
standing the  prejudices  and  habits  in  the  way,  if 
only  those  in  authority  had  sounded  the  right 
note.  Subsequently  there  was  just  encugh  of 
suiting  to  the  moral  situation  to  balance  parties 
and  multiply  bitterness. 

Mr.  Otterbein's  labors  at  Frederick  were  much 
blessed.  In  1763  the  congregation  began  to  build 
a  large  and  substantial  stone  church,  to  take  the 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  lOl 

place  of  the  former  log  structure,  or  possibly 
of  a  church  that  had  succeeded  the  original  log 
church.  The  next  year  the  house  was  nearly 
enough  completed  to  be  used  for  worship.  The 
building  was  subsequently  remodeled,  and  was  at 
a  later  time  rebuilt,  but  the  original  stone  tower 
still  standing,  shows  that,  for  those  early  days,  the 
building  was  of  a  superior  character.  In  1762  a 
stone  parsonage  was  erected,  the  lot  having  been 
purchased  the  preceding  year.  The  reason  for 
this  procedure  will  presently  appear. 

Dr.  Daniel  Zacharias,  pastor  at  Frederick  from 
1835  to  1873,  in  a  centenary  sermon  preached  in 
1847,  after  alluding  to  Mr.  Otterbein  as  a  builder, 
added:  "Many  other  improvements  in  the  ex- 
ternal condition  of  this  congregation  were  like- 
wise made  during  this  period;  thus  showing  that 
Mr.  0.  was  not  only  a  very  pious  and  devoted 
pastor,  but  was  also  most  energetic  and  efficient  in 
promoting  the  outward  prosperity  of  the  church. 
A  few  letters  are  still  preserved  in  our  ar- 
chives,* written  by  Mr.  0.  while  at  York,  to  mem- 
bers of  this  charge.  From  these  letters,  brief  as 
they  are,  you  may  easily  gather  the  spirit  of  the 
man.  Though  laboring  now  in  another  field,  he 
remembered  still,  with  affectionate  kindness  and 
concern,  the  people  whom  he  had  recently  left. 

*  These  letters  can  no  longer  be  found. 


102  LIFE    OP   OTTERBEIN. 

He  mourned  over  their  difficulties,  and  endeav- 
ored to  profit  them  by  imparting  unto  them  his 
godly  counsels,  and  offering  up  in  their  behalf 
his  earnest  prayers." 

But  Mr.  Otterbein's  zeal  and  labors  did  not  save 
him  from  oppositions.  Though  no  pen  has  re- 
corded the  manner  of  his  ministry  at  Frederick, 
it  can  not  be  doubted  that  his  ideas  of  a  spiritual 
church,  social  meetings,  and  lay  co-operation, 
were  given  a  permanent  place.  Persons  that 
based  their  claims  to  church-membership  on  the 
fact  that  they  were  born  and  baptized  in  the 
church  must  have  gazed  with  wonder,  if  not  with 
anger,  as  the  words  of  Mr.  Otterbein  went  crash- 
ing through  their  formal  notions  of  religion. 
While  one  part  of  the  world  have  ever  been  prone 
to  trust  in  moral  deeds,  another  and  quite  as  large 
a  portion,  have  trusted  in  the  round  of  ceremo- 
nies and  the  magic  of  rites. 

The  following  incident,  the  authority  for  which 
has  been  carefully  examined,  indicates  the  shady 
side  among  the  results  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  godly 
efforts:  "At  one  period  the  excitement  became 
so  great  that  a  majority  of  the  church  determined 
on  his  summary  dismission ;  and  to  effect  it  most 
speedily,  they  locked  the  church -door  against 
him.  On  the  following  Sabbath,  when  the  con- 
gregation assembled,  his  adherents,  knowing  that 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBE1N.  103 

he  had  a  legal  right  to  the  pulpit,  were  disposed 
to  force  the  door;  but  he  said  to  them,  'Not  so, 
brethren.  If  I  am  not  permitted  to  enter  the 
church  peaceably,  I  can  and  will  preach  here  in 
the  grave-yard/  So  saying,  he  took  his  stand 
upon,  one  of  the  tombstones,  proceeded  with  the 
regular  introductory  services  in  his  usual  fervent 
spirit,  delivered  a  sermon  of  remarkable  power, 
and  at  its  close  announced  preaching  at  the  same 
place  on  the  succeeding  Sabbath.  At  the  time 
appointed  an  unusually  large  concourse  assem- 
bled, and  as  he  was  about  to  commence  the  serv- 
ices again  under  the  canopy  of  the  heavens,  the 
person  who  had  the  key  of  the  church -door 
hastily  opened  it,  saying,  '  Come  in,  come  in!  I 
can  stand  this  no  longer.'  "* 

While  the  condition  of  the  German  churches  in 
America  is  on  all  hands  admitted  to  have  been 
deplorable,  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  with  the 
English  churches,  either  as  regards  theory  or 
practice,  the  condition  of  things  was  so  much  bet- 
ter. Only  ten  years  before  the  occurrence  just 
given,  Jonathan  Edwards  was  dismissed  from 
his  church  at  Northampton,  and  going  back  ten 
years  further,  we  find  John  Wesley  preaching 
from  his  father's  tomb  at  Ep worth. 

Mr.  Otterbein's  labors  were  certainly  not  con- 

*  Lawrence. 


104  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

fined  to  Frederick,  though,  what  other  congrega- 
tions he  regularly  served  is  not  known.  His 
predecessor  had  preached  at  Winchester  and  at 
two  other  places  in  Virginia.  He  preached  also 
in  Maryland  on  the  Potomac  (likely  Antietam), 
in  the  mountains  (likely  Middletown),  and  on  Pipe 
Creek.  He  had  also  other  appointments.  In 
connection  with  his  work  at  Frederick,  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein  doubtless  preached  at  all  of  the  places 
named,  and  at  others  besides,  though  not  at  all 
of   the  places  regularly. 

While  Mr.  Otterbein  was  at  Frederick  his  la- 
bors were  sought  by  other  congregations.  In 
1761  the  congregations  at  Reading  and  Oley,  in 
Berks  County,  presented  to  him  a  call.  This  call, 
however,  he  refused  to  entertain  on  the  ground 
that  he  could  not  leave  a  charge  upon  which  he 
had  so  lately  entered.  The  congregation  at  Read- 
ing had  not,  at  this  time,  yet  had  the  services  of  a 
regular  pastor. 

In  the  spring  of  1763  he  received  a  call  from 
the  Reformed  church  in  Philadelphia,  which  he 
was  urged  by  the  ccetus  to  accept.  By  circum- 
stances beyond  his  control  he  was  prevented  from 
accepting  the  call.  The  following  letters  relating 
to  this  matter,  written  by  Mr.  Otterbein,  and 
kindly  furnished  by  Dr.  David  Van  Home,  the 
present  pastor  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia,  in- 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN  105 

dicate  so  well  not  only  his  attitude  to  the  call,  hut 
also  so  much  of  his  character  and  spirit,  that  they 
are  given  in  full : 

First  Letter. — Dear  Sirs  and  Friends: — Day  be- 
fore yesterday  I  received  your  letter.  I  am  sorry  for 
the  circumstances  in  which  you  are.  In  response  to 
your  desire  for  me,  I  can  not  now  say  anything 
with  certainty.  The  case  is  a  difficult  one  for  me. 
I  will  think  of  it.  I  do  not  know  what  the  condi- 
tion of  your  church  is, —  as  to  whether  there  is  har- 
mony in  it  or  not.  I  hate  strife.  It  is  an  unpleasant 
thing  to  go  into  difficulties.  Hitherto  I  have  not 
suffered  myself  to  be  trammeled,  nor  do  I  dare  to 
suffer  myself  to  be  trammeled.  You  may  consider 
the  matter,  and  I  wTill  do  the  same.  I  have  no  more 
time  to  write,  for  the  person  that  will  take  this  com- 
munication along  with  him  is  in  a  hurry.  The 
Lord  be  with  you. 

Your  sincere  friend, 

W.  Otterbein. 

Fredericktovvn,  May  24,  1763. 

Second  Letter. — Dear  Sirs  and  Friends: — I  have 
received  your  letter  through  Mr.  Clampffer  and  Mr. 
Wack.  It  is  not  necessary,  at  this  time,  that  I  write 
in  detail.  I  hope,  if  the  Lord  wills,  and  I  live,  to 
see  you  on  the  26th  of  June,  and  to  preach  for  you. 
Both  of  your  honorable  deputies  urged  me  strongly 
to  go  down  with  them.  It  is,  however,  quite  impos- 
sible for  me  to  do  so  at  this  time.     You  must  blam? 


106  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

no  one  but  myself  for  my  not  coming  sooner.  My  cir- 
cumstances will  not  permit  any  other  course.  I  dare 
by  no  means  to  desert  the  congregation  that  I  have 
here,  as  I  must  necessarily  see  them  in  some  measure 
satisfied  before  I  could  leave  them  to  go  to  you.  You 
may,  if  God  grants  me  health,  expect  me  at  the  ap- 
pointed time.    The  Lord  be  with  you. 

Your  sincere  friend, 

W.  Otterbein. 

F&edeeicktown,  June  6,  1763. 

Third  Letter. — Dear  Sirs  and  Friends: — I  have 
tried  to  satisfy  this  church,  but  can  hardly  make  a 
success  of  it.  I  am  sorry.  I  have  already  told  you 
the  circumstances.  The  people  allege  that  they,  on 
my  account,  have  incurred  unusual  expenses,  and 
that  they  next  year  would  build  a  new  church ;  also 
that,  if  I  leave  them,  the  church  may  not  be  built, 
and  that  the  present  debts  may  rest  upon  a  few  ;  and 
furthermore,  that  my  going  would  surely  cause  dis- 
turbance and  give  offense.  Truly  I  am  in  a  perplex- 
ing situation.  If  I  leave  here  I  shall  give  offense, 
and  if  I  do  not  go  to  you,  this  will  not  be  taken  well. 
But  how  would  it  do  if  you  would  have  patience 
until  next  year  ?  It  may  be  that  by  that  time  the 
circumstances  will  change  so  that  I  could  go  without 
so  much  offense.  I  know  of  no  other  way.  You 
may  assuredly  believe  that  it  is  my  wish  that  you 
were  helped.  But  I  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  done 
at  this  time  without  much  censure  being  brought 
upon  me.     I  pray  that  you  will  not  become  angry 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIIT.  107 

wilh  me,  for  I  do  the  best  that  I  can.  Have  a  little 
more  patience.  It  may  be  that  some  one  will  come 
in  this  fall;  then  all  will  be  right.  But  should  no 
one  come,  I  can  go,  in  accordance  with  the  circum- 
stances here,  better  next  year.  Consider  this  mat- 
ter aright,  and  I  know  that  you  will  yourselves  see 
this  to  be  the  best.  May  the  Lord  direct  all  accord- 
ing to  his  will,  and  for  the  most  good.  I  greet  you. 
The  grace  of  God  be  with  you,  esteemed  gentlemen 
and  friends. 

Your  sincere  friend  and  servant, 

W.  Otterbein. 

Fredekicktown,  July  9,  1763. 

Fourth  Letter.  —  Dear  Sirs  and  Friends : — I  have 
received  your  letter.  Mr.  Alsentz  wrote  to  me  that 
perhaps  Mr.  Leydich  could  come  to  my  place  here. 
This  would  satisfy  me.  If  this  place  can  be  sup- 
plied, I  am  willing,  as  soon  as  it  can  be  done,  to  go 
to  you.  Otherwise  I  can  not  promise  to  go  this  year. 
The  offense  that  I  would  give  thereby  would  be  too 
great.  You  know  this  well  yourselves,  and  also  how 
you  would  yourselves  feel  in  the  same  circumstances. 
In  Tulpehocken  the  situation  would  be  a  little  dif- 
ferent, for  Mr.  Kurtz'  brother  is  there,  and  is  serving 
the  congregation.  I  can  tell  you  frankly  that  I  am 
willing  to  serve  you ;  but  if  Mr.  Leydich  can  not 
come,  then  have  patience  for  this  year.  I  will  then, 
if  the  Lord  wills,  next  year,  go  to  you.  And  if  you 
nnd  it  for  good,  I  will  go  this  fall  to  you,  and  be 


108  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

with  you  for  two  or  three  Sundays.     The  Lord  be 
with  you.     I  greet  you. 

Sincerely  yours, 

W.  Otterbein. 

Fbedebicktown,  August  23,  1763. 

The  Philadelphia  congregation  had  been  since 
1749,  for  the  most  of  the  time,  in  a  divided  and 
distracted  state.  "  Its  restless  spirit,  contrary  to 
the  omen  and  presage  of  its  name,"  was  always 
stirring  up  new  troubles.  "  Feud  had  followed 
upon  feud  from  year  to  year,  and  from  one  brief 
pastorate  to  another."  For  a  short  time  before 
the  call  given  to  Mr.  Otterbein,  the  congregation 
had  been  afflicted  with  the  ministry  of  an  intem- 
perate man.  This  man,  though  rejected,  had  suf- 
ficient influence  to  draw  off  a  part  of  the  church- 
membership  and  establish  a  rival  congregation. 
Some  in  the  church  at  Philadelphia  complained 
that  Mr.  Oterbein's  voice  was  weak;  but  this 
must  be  interpreted  as  meaning,  more  than  any- 
thing else,  the  existence  of  a  dissatisfied  party  in 
the  church;  for  Mr.  Otterbein's  voice,  though  not 
the  strongest,  was  far  from  weak.  Though  the 
Philadelphia  congregation  yet  stood  the  strongest, 
at  least  the  most  important,  Reformed  congrega- 
tion in  America,  Mr.  Otterbein's  regard  for  a 
prior  obligation  kept  him  from  becoming  its 
pastor.      In   November,  1763,   the   congregation 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  109 

found  it  possible  to  obtain  Dr.  Weyberg  as  pastor, 
and  he  was  thereupon  chosen. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  1762,  Mr.  Otterbein  was 
married  in  Lancaster,  Pennsylvania,  to  Miss  Susan 
LeRoy.  *  Rev.  William  Stoy  officiated.  Miss 
LeRoy  was  of  French  Huguenot  descent.  In 
1685,  Louis  XIV.  of  France  revoked  the  edict  of 
Nantes.  Four  hundred  thousand  of  the  best  cit- 
izens of  France  sought  homes  in  other  countries. 
Among  these  the  LeRoy  family  fled  and  obtained 
an  asylum  in  Switzerland,  apparently  in  or  near 
Basle.  As  early  as  1690  large  numbers  of  self- 
exiled  Huguenots  came  to  America.  In  1754 
Abraham  LeRoy,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Otterbein, 
resolved  to  follow,  with  his  family,  in  this  course. 
In  leaving  their  home  in  Switzerland  they  passed 
through  some  Catholic  territory.  On  their  way 
one  of  the  children  died;  and  as  the  parents  did 
not  wish  to  bury  their  child  at  the  place  where 
they  were,  they  took  the  corpse  for  some  distance 
with  them.  Having  stopped  at  a  public  house 
kept  by  Catholics,  who  soon  became  aware  that  a 
dead  Protestant  child  had  been  brought  into  their 
house,  they  were  loaded  with  curses,  and  a  com- 
plete renovation  of  the  house  was  begun. 

*  In  view  of  the  total  want  of  information  in  regard  to  Mr.  Otterbein's 
marriage,  it  was  no  common  pleasure  to  the  author  to  discover  with  his 
own  eyes  the  entry  to  the  effect  above  given,  in  the  Lancaster  church- books. 
Other  sources  of  information  have  since  been  found. 


110  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEftf. 

The  Protestant  spirit  of  the  LeRoys  is  shown 
by  an  occurrence  at  another  point  pn  their  way. 
The  father  noticed  a  Catholic  procession  ap- 
proaching, with  the  host  carried  in  front,  before 
which  all  that  might  stand  near  were  expected  to 
do  reverence.  This  Abraham  LeRoy  was  too 
much  of  a  Huguenot  to  do.  He,  instead,  pru- 
dently turned  his  family  into  an  alley  near  by, 
and  waited  till  the  procession  had  passed. 

In  the  fall  of  1754  the  family,  consisting  of  the 
parents,  one  son,  and  four  daughters,  reached 
Pennsylvania,  and  soon  made  Lancaster  their 
home.  John  Jacob  LeRoy,  a  brother  of  Abra- 
ham LeRoy,  came  to  America  in  1752,  and  in 
1755  was  killed  by  the  Indians.  Shortly  after 
Abraham  LeRoy  and  his  family  came  to  this 
country  the  parents  became  dissatisfied,  and  soon 
returned  to  Switzerland,  leaving  behind  them, 
however,  all  of  their  children  except  the  young- 
est. Again  in  Switzerland,  they  soon  became 
anxious  to  return  to  Pennsylvania,  but  were  pre- 
vented for  a  time  by  the  dangers  resulting  from 
the  war  between  France  and  England.  Not  long 
after  their  return  to  this  country,  Abraham  Le- 
Roy and  his  son,  also  called  Abraham,  died. 
Their  death  occurred  in  1764  or  1765.  They  to- 
gether left  to  Susan  Otterbein  about  one  thousand 
Hve  hundred  dollars. 


LIFE    OF    OTTBRBEIN.  Ill 

Dr.  William  Hendel  was  married  about  1766  to 
Elizabeth  Lelioy,  one  of  the  four  sisters.  The 
family  spoke  German  as  well  as  French.  The 
mother,  though,  loved  her  French,  and  often  were 
homeless  and  homesick  French  people  comforted 
and  entertained  at  the  home  of  the  LeRoys. 

Mr.  Otterbein  became  acquainted  with  his  fu- 
ture wife  during  his  ministry  at  Lancaster.  Five 
years  and  a  half,  however,  elapsed  after  he  left 
Lancaster  before  the  marriage  took  place,  he 
spending  two  of  these  years  at  Tulpehocken  and 
the  remainder  of  the  tim  at  Fredericko  At  this 
time  Mr.  Otterbein  was  thirty-live  years  old,  and 
his  bride  was  twenty-six.  A  letter  written  to  the 
synods  of  Holland  in  tho  year  of  the  marriage 
contained  the  following:  "Dominic  Otterbein  has 
entered  the  state  of  matrimony  in  deference  to 
public  opinion,  which  in  America  requires  that  a 
minister  should  be  a  married  man."  It  may  be 
supposed,  though,  that  the  letter  represents  but 
one  side  of  the  affair. 

Mrs.  Otterbein  only  lived  six  years  after  her 
marriage.  She  died  April  27th,  1768,  aged  thirty- 
two  years  and  five  months.  It  is  not  certain 
whether  she  died  at  Lancaster  or  at  York,  but  it 
is  certain  that  she  was  buried  at  the  former  place. 
~No  children  were  left  by  this  marriage.  Hence 
forth  Mr.  Otterbein  walked  alone, 

"  And  would  not  change  his  buried  love 
For  any  one  of  living  mold." 


112  LIFE    OF    GTTERBEIX. 

After  nearly  a  half  century  had  passed  over 
him,  he  could  still  manifest  the  power  of  his  un- 
diminished affection.  It  is  a  beautiful  tradition, 
that  only  two  days  before  his  death  he  requested 
a  friend  to  bring  a  pocket-book,  made  by  the 
tender  hands  then  so  long  moti  nless  in  death, 
and  that  gazing  upon  the  carefully  preserved 
keepsake,  he  kissed  it  with  all  the  fondness  of  a 
you  hful  lover.  Wq  can  not  know  the  weight  of 
the  shadows  that  fell  upon  Mr.  Gtterbein's  life 
fiom  his  early  bereavement. 


CIIAPTEPv  VI. 

MINISTRY  AT    YORK. 
History  of  the  Congregation  — Labors  Rewarded— Meeting  at 
Isaac  Long's— Time  of  the  Meeting  —  Visit  to  Germany  — 
Incidents  — The  Farewell  and  Return  —  Concludes  his  La- 
bors at  York. 

II N  September,  1765,  Mr.  Otterbein  trans- 
ferred his  labors  from  Fr  sdcrick,  M«r  - 
land,  to  York,  Pennsylvania.  The  fees  n 
for  the  change  was  partly,  perhaps,  'he  con- 
dition cf  the  church  at  York,  whi  h  for  two 
years  had  been  without  a  settled  pastor*  Ther 
may  have  been  divisions  in  the  church  at  Freder- 
ick; for  the  next  pastorate  was  certainly  not  free 
from  them. 

We  must  not  forget  that  Mr.  Otterbein,  in 
changing  from  Frederick  to  York,  had,  in  the  full 
sense  of  the  term,  to  move.  Ho  now  had  a  wife 
to  take  with  him.  The  articles  belonging  to 
house  and  home  would  exact  the  usual  amount 
of  attention.     In  going  to  York,  Mrs.  Otterbein 


*  "  There  was  now  a  vacancy  in  the  churchfor  about  two  years.  W1L- 
iam  Otterbein  commenced  his  labors  in  September,  1765."-  Gloasbrenner** 
History  of  Yorn  County. 

113  8 


114  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

would  be  much  nearer  to    her  relatives  at  Lan 
caster. 

York,  at  first  called  Little  York,  was  laid  out 
in  1741,  and  ten  years  later  it  contained  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety  houses.  In  1765  it  was  a  consid- 
erable town,  full  of  life  and  affairs.  It  had  the 
advantage  of  being  the  chief  place  west  of  the 
Susquehanna. 

A  Reformed  church  was  organized  at  York  at 
an  early  day,  there  being  many  Reformed  in  York 
County.  The  first  Reformed  church -building  in 
the  town  was  erected  in  1746.  A  stone  church 
was  bagun  in  1763,  but  as  the  vacancy  in  the  pas- 
torate occurred  at  this  time,  the  completing  of 
the  house,  in  all  probability,  remained  for  Mr. 
Otterbein's  period. 

The  first  pastor,  Rev.  Jacob  Lischy,  who 
served  the  congregation  from  1745  to  1760,  not 
without  important  breaks  however,  presented  a 
strange  mixture  of  good  and  bad  qualities — the 
latter  at  least  in  the  end  predominating.  At 
times  he  seemed  to  be  a  chosen  instrument  in 
promoting  a  great  spiritual  work;  but  through- 
out his  course  there  was  an  evident  want  of  con- 
sistency and  conscientiousness,  and  the  close  of 
his  career  gave  to  the  enemies  of  spiritual  religion 
abundant  occasion  for  gainsaying.  The  confusion 
following  must  have  extended  to  Mr.  Otterbein's 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  115 

time.  It  was  left  for  Mr.  Otterbein  to  show  that 
the  greatest  attention  to  the  spiritual  life  finds  at 
the  same  time  its  requirement  and  its  rule  in  what 
belongs  to  a  higher  sphere  than  human  subject- 
ivism and  caprice  —  even  in  God's  word. 

Notwithstanding  the  continued  distractions  and 
embarrassments,  the  congregation,  when  he  as- 
sumed charge,  was  large  and  important.  He 
seems  to  have  had  one  or  two  country  appoint- 
ments in  addition  to  his  work  in  town.  But  his 
regular  work  did  not  prevent  his  traveling  and 
preaching  elsewhere  extensively.  He  occasionally 
visited  Maryland,  as  well  as  different  parts  of 
Pennsylvania.  One  of  the  meetings  that  he  at- 
tended was  so  memorable  that  it  must  be  de- 
scribed somewhat  at  length,  though  the  general 
circumstances  of  the  meeting  will  be  given  more 
fully  in  the  following  chapter. 

There  had  been  a  great  spiritual  awakening  in 
which  a  Mennonite  minister,  Martin  Boehm,  was 
at  first  a  noted  subject,  and  then  an  acknowledged 
leader  and  efficient  promoter.  He  came  in  con- 
tact with  others  of  a  like  experience  while  on  a 
visit  to  Virginia,  and  subsequently,  in  connec- 
tion with  Virginia  preachers,  held  "great  meet- 
ings" in  different  parts  of  Lancaster  County.  At 
the  time  referred  to,  Mr.  Boehm  had  appointed  a 
meeting  on  Whitsuntide,  at    Isaac    Long's,  six 


116  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

miles  north -east  of  Lancaster.  The  meeting  was 
held  in  a  large  barn.*  Mr.  Otterbein  was  pres- 
ent, whether  by  invitation  or  of  his  own  appoint- 
ing is  not  known.  He  and  Boehm  had  not  before 
met.  His  preaching  at  New  Providence,  during 
his  Lancaster  term,  brought  him  to  within  a  few 
miles  of  Mr.  Boehm's  residence;  yet  the  harsh 
treatment  that  the  Mennonites  had  received  at  the 
hands  of  the  Reformed  in  Switzerland,  and  the 
great  gulf  that  continued  between  the  Mennon 
ites  and  the  Reformed,  is  sufficient  explanation 
for  the  fact  that  they  had  not  met  each  other. 
Mr.  Boehm,  too,  was  just  entering  upon  his  min- 
istry when  Mr.  Otterbein  left  for  Tulpehocken. 
The  large  barn  could  not  hold  the  people.  An 
overflow  meeting  was  appointed  to  be  held  in  the 
orchard,  to  be  addressed  by  a  Virginia  preacher 
that  was  present.  Mr.  Otterbein  listened  as 
Boehm  unfolded  the  truths  of  the  gospel;  as  he 
uttered  with  exulting  freedom  and  resistless  force 
truths  that  his  own  mind  and  soul,  through  deep 
pangs  and  struggles,  had  apprehended.  As  Boehm 
concluded  his  sermon,  and  before  he  could  sit 
dowTn,  Mr.  Otterbein,  moved  by  an  overpower- 
ing conviction  of  new-found  fellowship   in   the 

*  The  barn  was  built  of  stone,  was  one  hundred  and  eight  feet  long,  and 
proportionately  wide,  and  contained  on  the  floor  ahove  the  basement  six 
mows.  It  is  sti.l  standing.  The  house  standing  at  that  time  likewise  stiU 
stands. 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  11? 

truth,  clasped  Boelim  in  his  arms  and  exclaimed, 
"We  are  brethren!"  Boelim  was  a  man  rather 
under  medium  height,  wore  his  beard  long,  and 
was  clad  in  the  plain,  neat  Mennonite  costume. 
Mr.  Otterbein,  on  the  other  hand,  was  a  large 
man  and  of  commanding  appearance,  and  in 
his  bearing  and  dress  strictly  parsonic.  Their 
ecclesiastical  relations  were  in  striking  contrast. 
The  effect,  therefore,  of  this  episode  could  not 
fail  to  be  of  the  most  dramatic  character.  "  Un- 
able to  repress  their  emotions,  some  in  the  con- 
gregation praised  the  Lord  aloud;  but  the  greater 
part  were  bathed  in  tears,  and  all  hearts  seemed 
melted  into  one."  To  those  present  the  occasion 
was,  more  than  merely  in  name,  a  true  Whitsun- 
tide-—  a  present  Pentecost.  Is  it  strange  that  this 
meeting  should  furnish  the  starting-point  for  a 
religious  movement  that  should  assume,  as  the 
years  passed,  great  dimensions,  or  an  inexplica- 
ble thing  that,  in  time,  a  new  religious  society 
should  be  the  result? 

The  great .  meeting  at  Isaac  Long's  has  such 
historic  importance  that  it  is  of  interest  that  the 
time  at  which  it  was  held  should  be  fixed  within 
as  narrow  limits  as  possible.  Let  us  give  the 
patient  attention  of  a  few  moments  to  this  point. 
Some  have  placed  the  meeting  as  early  as  Mr. 
Otterbein's  Frederick  or  Tulpehocken  ministry, 


118  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIXc 

and  some  even  as  early  as  his  Lancaster  ministry. 
But  all  dates  prior  to  Lis  Frederick  ministry 
are  shut  oft*  by  considerations  coming  from  the 
side  of  Boehm.  Dates,  too,  falling  within  his 
Frederick  ministry  are  made  unlikely,  if  not  im- 
possible, by  the  distance  of  Frederick  from  Lan- 
caster County,  and  by  the  fact  that  the  circle  of 
Mr.  Otterbein's  labors  lay  to  the  south  rather 
than  to  the  north.  Mr.  Otterbein  did  not  leave 
Frederick  until  the  fall  of  1765,  and  could  not 
therefore  have  attended  a  meeting  in  Lancaster 
County  on  Whitsuntide  before  17G6.  We  have, 
then,  a  limit  before  which  the  meeting  could  not 
have  occurred. 

A  point  bearing  somewhat  upon  the  case  is 
this:  The  Isaac  L0112:  meeting  was  some  time 
before  the  Methodist  preachers  began  to  preach 
in  Lancaster  County,  and  some  time  before  Martin 
Boehm  had  met  any  of  them.  These  preachers 
appeared  upon  the  scene  between  1775  and  1780. 
Henry  Boehm  says  that  they  first  came  to  his 
father's  house  about  1775,  though  a  later  date  is 
more  probable.  Mr.  Spayth,  in  a  manuscript  ad- 
dress still  preserved,  says,  '•  This  meeting  was 
held  as  early  as  1770,  and  not  later."  As  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein, as  will  presently  be  seen,  went  to  Europe 
in  April,  1770,  he  could  not  have  been  present  at 
a  Whitsuntide  meeting  in  that  year.    The  date  of 


LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN.  119 

the  meeting,  as  indicated  by  this  testimony,  would 
be,  therefore,  between  1766  and  1769.  But  there 
are  other  testimonies. 

The   paper   containing   the   charges  on   which 
Boehm  was  expelled  from  the  Mennonite  Church 
is  .still  preserved.*     The  Mennonites  believe  that 
the  paper  belongs  to  a  time  as  early  as  "  1775,  or 
between  1775  and   1780."     The  reference  to  the 
"  sword  of  revenge,"  with  its   attendant  calami- 
ties "  very  near  to  the  door,"  would  refer  to  the 
Revolutionary  War,  which  brought  such  trials  to 
the  non-combatant  Mennonites.     More  precisely 
the  reference  suits  the  year  1777.     The  reason 
why  the  Mennonites  incidentally  mention  1780  as 
a  limiting   date    is   the   testimony   of   Christian 
KaufTman,  from  which  it  is  certain  that  he  was 
present  at  the  meetings  held  by  Martin  Boehm 
before  1780,  and  that  at  this  time  Martin  Boehm 
was    not   connected  with    the   Mennonites.     The 
authority  for   the  Mennonite  view  as  to  the  date 
of  the  manuscript  as  before  given,  furnishes  also 
the  more  exact  statement  that  "the  manuscript 
was  written,  without  doubt,  about  the  year  1775." 
The  paper  says,  "  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that 
between  us  and  Martin  Boehm  there  is,  in  many 
respects,  a  difference  of  views;    and  we  have  at 
times,  for  several  years  already,  labored  to  become 

*  See  next  chapter. 


120  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

more  of  one  mind."     That  the  complaints  were 
due  to  Boehm's  associations  with  Otterbein  and 
like  men  is  evident  from  the  following:     "  He 
[Boehm]  had  a  great  deal  to  do  with  forming  a 
union  and  associating  with  men  (professors)  that 
allow  themselves  to  walk  on  the  broad  way,  prac- 
ticing warfare  and  the  swearing  of  oaths."     But 
how  long  previous     to  the  writing  of  the  paper 
did  this  union  and  the  things  that  offended  the 
Mennonites  occur?     The  expression  in  the  paper, 
"  several  years,"  is  of  course  indefinite.   But  some 
light  is  thrown  upon  it  by  other  statements  found 
in  the  paper.     It  is  said,  "  Some  of  the  aged  la- 
borers that  were  not  satisfied  with  him  [Boehm] 
have  passed  away,  and  we  and  Boehm  are  also 
on  the  way  to  eternity."     Again,  it  is  said,  "  We 
continually  feared  what  is  now  before  us,  a  divis 
ion  in  the  church."     The  evidence  of  long  delay 
and  continued  struggle  is  found  in  every  part  of 
the   lengthy   paper,   making  it   probable    that  a 
period  of  not  less  than  ten  years  was  consumed 
in  this  way.     But  if  the  paper  was  written  as 
early  as  1775  to  1777,  even  a  less  number  of  years 
would  reach  back  to  th:   period   1706  to  1769. 
Yet  we  can  narrow  the  limits  given  by  at  least 
one  year.     Bev.  Abraham  Hershey,  in  an  article 
published  in  1842,  says,  "  In  1768  I  saw  Father 
Otterbein."     Now,  Mr.  Hershey  was  at  that  time 


LITE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  121 

a  small  boy  living  at  home.     His  father  lived  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  Isaac  Long's  place.     The 
Hersheys  and   the   Longs  were   all   Mennonites, 
and  were  otherwise  closely  associated.    It  is  plain 
that  Abraham  Hershey  conld  only  have  seen  Mr. 
Otterbein  after  associations  with  the  Mennonites 
had    brought   him  into   the   Isaac   Long   neigh- 
borhood.    Mennonites,  in  those  times,  were  not 
taking  their  families  and  going  a  distance  to  Re- 
formed meetings.     Also  a  strong  impression,  as 
from  some  unusual  occurrence,  must  have  been 
made  on  Abraham  Hershey's  mind  to  have  ena- 
bled him,  even  with  the  many  references  that  he 
must   have   subsequently  heard  from  those  that 
mingled  in  those  early  meetings,  to  carry  a  dis- 
tinct date  all  through  his  long  life.     We  are  in- 
debted to  Abraham  Hershey  for  other  points  of 
interest  in  relation  to  those  early  times.     It  is  not 
clear  from  his  reference  to  the  year  1768  that  the 
original  Isaac  Long  meeting  must  have  been  in 
that  year,  but  only  that  it  could  not  have  been 
later,  or  much  before.     From  some  cause  he  may 
not  have  been    present  at   the  first  meeting  or 
meetings  at  which  Mr.  Otterbein  was  present.    A 
reference  will  be  found  in  a  subsequent  chapter 
that  will  seem  to  indicate  the  year  1766  as  the 
precise  year  for  the  first  meeting  at  which   Mr. 
Otterbein  was  present.     From  1766  to  1768,  how- 


122  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

ever,  is  the  closest  approximation  that,  with  any 
confidence,  can  be  made. 

In  April,  1770,  Mr.  Otterbein  made  his  long 
contemplated  visit  to  his  relatives  and  friends  in 
Germany.  As  he  purposed,  God  willing,  to  re- 
turn to  America,  and  as  the  congregation  at 
York  was  unwilling  to  give  him  up,  he  went 
without  resigning  his  charge,  his  place  being  filled 
during  his  absence  by  other  ministers.  The  time 
chosen  for  the  visit  was  propitious.  Europe  was 
at  peace. 

Eighteen  years  had  elapsed  since  he  left  rela* 
lives  and  friends  in  Germany  to  become  a  mission- 
ary to  America.  How  will  he  find  them  on  his 
return?  His  noble  mother  was  still  alive.  She 
was  kindly  cared  for  by  her  son  John  Charles, 
whose  life  was  spent  in  the  Herborn  school.  John 
Henry,  the  oldest  brother  of  Philip  William,  was 
at  Burbach.  George  Godfrey  was  at  the  impor- 
tant city  of  Duisburg.  John  Daniel  was  at  Ber- 
leburg.  Henry  Daniel  was  at  Kecken.  A  sister 
was  perhaps  alive.  At  this  time  there  were  also 
a  number  of  other  Otterbein s  serving  as  minis- 
ters at  different  places.  We  can  poorly  imagine 
what  must  have  been  the  joy  of  this  large  num- 
ber of  relatives,  especially  of  the  aged  mother, 
at  receiving  back  the  returning  Americaner,  as 
said  by  the  Germans,  then  as  now. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  123 

An  affecting  scene  was  presented  when  the 
American  Otterbein  visited  his  brother  George 
Godfrey,  the  pastor  at  Duisburg.  As  Duisburg 
was  situated  nearer  the  place  of  debarkation  than 
were  the  places  of  the  other  Otterbeins,  George 
Godfrey  was  likely  the  first  brother  met.  After 
the  first  welcome  salutation  and  the  evening  meal, 
the  brothers,  in  the  privacy  of  the  study,  unfolded 
to  each  other  their  most  intimate  thoughts. 
Philip  William,  without  reserve,  and  with  a  full 
heart,  related  the  story  of  his  spiritual  experi- 
ence. George  Godfrey  listened  with  the  deepest 
attention,  and  rising  from  his  chair  embraced  his 
brother,  and  as  the  tears  streamed  down  his 
cheeks  said,  "  My  dear  William,  we  are  now, 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord,  not  only  broth- 
ers after  the  flesh,  but  also  after  the  spirit.  I  have 
also  experienced  the  same  blessing.  I  can  testify 
that  God  has  power  on  earth  to  forgive  sins  and 
to  cleanse  from  all  unrighteousness."  * 

At  another  time,  when  Philip  "William  was 
walking  in  the  field  with  the  brother  just  named, 
the  latter  turned  to  him  and  said  with  emphasis 
and  feeling,  "  My  dear  brother,  I  have  a  very 
strong  impression  that  God  has  a  great  work  for 
you  to  do  in  America."  Though  George  God- 
frey was  the  younger,   he   exerted,  through    his 

*  See   Unity  Magazine,  Vol.  III.,  No.  1. 


124  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

intimacy  and  living  religions  experience,  a  great 
influence  on  his  American  brother. 

A  tradition,  the  line  of  which  is  distinctly 
pointed  out,  is  to  the  following  effect:  The 
American  Otterbein  was  visiting  his  oldest 
brother  at  Burbach,  and  on  a  very  hot  Sunday 
afternoon  preached  in  his  shirt-sleeves  for  two 
hours  to  the  Burbach.  congregation. 

After  this  visit  the  Burbach  Otterbein  held, 
every  morning,  a  short  devotional  meeting  in  the 
church.  When  some  one  told  him  that  in  con- 
sequence of  not  many  attending,  the  meeting 
might  as  well  be  dropped,  he  replied,  "  I  will  do 
my  duty;  others  may  do  as  they  please." 

It  can  readily  be  seen  that  the  nine  or  ten 
months  that  Mr.  Otterbein  felt  at  liberty  to  de- 
vote to  his  visit,  considering  the  number  of  per- 
sons and  places  to  be  visited,  would  be  well  filled 
up.  An  indication  of  the  time  of  his  return  to 
America  is  found  in  a  paper  belonging^  to  the 
Burbach  church  archives.  In  this  paper  John 
Henry  Otterbein,  in  connection  with  items  be- 
longing to  the  year  1771,  said,  "  The  monthly 
session  of  the  presbytery  for  the  month  of  Feb- 
ruary was  not  held,  for  I  was  at  Herborn  to  say 
good-by  to  my  American  brother."  It  is  likely 
that  at  that  good-by  meeting  all  of  the  Otterbein 
brothers,  six  in   all,  along  with   their  aged   and 


LIFE    ©F    ©TTERBER*.  125 

widowed  mother,  were  present.  The  scene  must 
have  been  sadder  than  the  similar  scene  of  nine- 
teen years  before.  They  could  not  all  meet  again. 
None  of  the  brothers  died  before  1800,  but  the 
mother's  life  came  to  a  close  in  the  short  course 
of  seven  years.  Philip  William  was  not  again  to 
visit  Germany,  and,  as  the  event  proved,  was  not 
affain  to  look  into  the  countenance  of  a  member 
of  his  family. 

He  doubtless  this  time,  as  before,  embarked 
from  Holland.  Different  writers  have  said  that 
he  reached  America  in  September  or  October. 
But  as  the  farewell  meeting  was  in  February,  he 
probably  reached  America  in  April  or  May. 
After  his  departure  from  Herborn,  he  may,  how- 
ever, have  remained  a  short  time  at  Duisburg 
with  his  brother  George  Godfrey,  or  he  may 
have  remained  a  short  time  in  Holland. 

On  his  return  he  resumed  his  labors  at  York. 
His  "  itinerant "  labors  were  likewise  continued. 
In  April,  1774,  he  resigned  his  pastorate  at  York 
to  assume  a  new  charge  at  Baltimore,  Maryland. 
His  ministry  at  York  had  been  full  of  varied  ex- 
periences. In  the  third  year  of  his  pastorate  he 
buried  his  wife.  Beginning  his  labors  when  the 
church  was  in  a  disorganized  state,  and  with  a 
church-building  to  complete,  his  labors  at  the  first 
must  have  been  arduous.      Prosperity,  however, 


126  LIFE    OF    OTTERB1IN. 

attended  him  in  his  various  labors.  During  this 
period  he  made  the  visit  just  referred  to  to  Eu- 
rope. Here,  too,  began,  in  a  special  sense,  that 
line  of  labors  that  marked  so  emphatically  his 
subsequent  course. 

In  the  next  chapter  will  be  noticed  the  charac- 
ter and  course  of  some  of  his  co-laborers,  and 
some  of  the  facts  connected  with  the  beginning 
of  the  great  and  almost  spontaneous  union  move- 
ment among  the  Germans  of  America. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

CO-LABORERS. 

The  Mennonites  — Ancestors  of  Martin  Boehm  — Birth  and 
Early  Life  of  Boehm  — His  Selection  for  the  Ministry  — Con- 
version —  Visit  to  Virginia  — The  "Virginia  Preachers"  — 
Meeting  at  Isaac  Long's — The  Religious  Movement  — 
Boehm's  Preaching  — The  River  Brethren  — Condition  of 
the  Mennonites  — Mennonite  Opposition — Boehm  Expelled 
—  George  Adam  Geeting  —  His  Conversion  —  Becomes  a 
Preacher— His  Home  on  the  Antietam  —  Close  Relations 
with  Mr.  Ottterbein  —  Other  Laborers. 

IlMONG  the  people  that  have  not  received 
Va  their  proper  meed  of  honorable  recogni- 
tion are  the  original  Mennonites  of  Europe. 
They  were  spiritual  and  subject  to  discipline 
when  these  qualities  were  rare,  and  still  more 
rarely  united.  Because  of  their  opposition  to  in- 
fant baptism,  to  the  taking  of  oaths,  and  to  the 
bearing  of  arms,  they  were  everywhere  subjects  of 
persecution.  At  length  toleration  was  extended 
to  them  in  Holland.  But  the  emperor  of  Ger- 
many and  the  Reformed  in  Switzerland  continued 
to  persecute. 

The  first  Mennonites  that  came  to  this  country 
came  in  1683  in  response  to  an  invitation  extended 
127 


128  LIFE    OF    OTTBRBUN. 

to  them  by  William  Perm  to  join  his  colony  in 
America.  The  Quakers,  who  first  settled  Penn- 
sylvania, and  the  Mennonites  had  many  things  in 
common.  The  first  Lancaster  County  Mennonites 
came  in  1709.  They  were  the  first  settlers  of  the 
county.  In  1735  there  were  five  hundred  fami- 
lies of  Mennonites  in  Lancaster  County  alone. 

Martin  Boehm,  whose  history  is  now  to  be 
sketched,  belonged  to  this  people.  His  father 
came  to  America  in  1715.  Jacob  Boehm,  the 
great-grandfather  of  Martin  Boehm,  belonged  to  a 
respectable  family  in  Switzerland,  and  was  a  strict 
member  of  the  Eeformed  Church.  His  son,  like- 
wise called  Jacob,  having  completed  his  appren- 
ticeship for  a  trade,  was,  according  to  the  custom 
of  the  time,  to  spend  three  years  in  travel  as  a 
journeyman.  In  his  wanderings  he  fell  in  with 
the  Pietists,  and  was  converted  to  their  views  and 
manner  of  life.  When  he  returned  home,  his 
singular  experience,  together  with  his  exposure 
of  formal  religion,  excited  violent  opposition. 
The  minister  denounced  him,  and  his  own  father 
was  scarcely  less  severe.  Having  been  convicted 
of  heresy,  an  older  brother  was  appointed  to  con- 
duct him  to  prison.  ]N"ot  being  watched  very 
closely,  and  the  way  lying  near  the  line  between 
Switzerland  and  France,  he  made  good  his  escape, 
and  Avas  soon   beyond  the  reach  of  his  unnatural 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  129 

persecutors.  lie  journeyed  along*  the  Rhine 
until  he  came  to  the  Palatinate.  Here  he  fell  in 
with  the  Mennonites,  with  whom  he  seems  to 
have  had  no  acquaintance  in  Switzerland.  He 
married  and  became  the  father  of  several  children. 
Of  these,  Jacob,  the  third  in  order  bearing  that 
name,  born  in  1693,  came  to  America  in  1715,  as 
before  stated.  He  located  in  Conestoga  Town- 
ship, Lancaster  County,  Pennsylvania.  Soon 
afterward  he  married  a  Miss  Kendig.  He  was  a 
deacon,  as  had  been  his  father  before  him,  in  the 
Mennonite  Society.  He  bought  a  farm  and  built 
upon  it.  He  was  also  a  blacksmith,  and  worked 
at  his  trade.  His  wife  was  a  very  industrious 
woman,  and,  when  necessary,  would  leave  her 
work,  and  blow  and  strike  for  him.  Henry 
Boehm,  speaking  from  his  recollection  of  her 
character  and  life,  calls  her  "  an  excellent  woman." 
To  these  parents  were  born  a  number  of  sons  and 
daughters. 

Of  these,  Martin  Boehm  was  the  youngest.  He 
was  born  JSTovember  30th,  1725.  Little  if  any 
of  his  education,  such  as  it  was,  was  obtained  at 
school.  The  early  Mennonites,  though  poor, 
brought  with  them  a  few  books,  and  began  soon 
to  multiply  the  number  in  this  country.  Per- 
secution had  made  them  at  the  same  time  well 
acquainted  with  their  principles  and  determinedly 


180  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

devoted  to  them.  Young  Martin,  being  a  son  in 
the  family  of  a  well-to-do  deacon  in  the  society, 
would  be  given  at  home  the  rudiments  of  a  Ger- 
man education,  and  would  feel  the  yet  powerful 
impulse  of  the  Mennonite  spirit.  The  influence 
of  the  church  would,  in.  its  way,  be  itself  an  edu- 
cation. Who  does  not  know  that  nine  tenths 
of  all  education  since  the  Christian  church  was 
founded  has  sprung,  whether  in  the  line  of  vital 
religion  or  not,  from  the  traditions  and  purposes 
of  the  church?  Martin  Boehm  subsequently 
added  to  the  fund  of  knowledge  that  he  acquired 
in  the  German  language  the  ability  to  converse 
intelligibly  and  to  read  with  some  success  and 
profit  in  the  English  language.  He  accumulated 
a  fair  stock  of  good  religious  books,  some  of 
them  being  in  the  English  language. 

He  is  described  as  being  a  short,  stout  man, 
with  a  vigorous  constitution,  an  intellectual  coun- 
tenance, and  a  fine  flowing  beard,  which  gave  him, 
in  his  later  years,  a  patriarchal  appearance. 

He  wras  married  in  1753  to  Eve  Steiner,  nine 
years  his  junior.  She  was  a  "  noble  woman  "  and 
was  justly  loved  and  esteemed.  Her  ancestors 
were  from  Switzerland.  The  parents  of  Martin 
Boehm  spent  their  last  clays  with  him,  and  from 
them  he  inherited  the  beautiful  home  farm.  The 
father  died  in  1780,  rejoicing  in  the  truths  into 


MARTIN    BOKHM 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIK.  131 

which  the  ministry  of  his  son  Martin  was  the 
means  of  leading  him. 

The  account  of  Martin  Boehm's  conversion  is 
so  typical,  and  throws  such  light  on  his  relations 
to  Mr.  Otterbein,  that  it  will  he  given  at  some 
length.  He  was  nominated  to  the  ministry  and 
chosen  hy  the  Lot,  after  the  Mennonite  custom,  in 
1756.  The  account  of  what  followed  will  he 
given  in  his  own  words,  as  taken  down  and  trans- 
lated hy  Mr.  Spayth.  After  speaking  of  his 
selection  for  the  ministry  and  his  failure  in  his 
public  efforts,  he  said:  "This  state  hegan  deeply 
to  distress  me  —  to  he  a  preacher,  and  yet  have 
nothing  to  preach,  nor  to  say,  but  stammer  out  a 
few  words,  and  then  he  obliged  to  take  my  seat 
in  shame  and  remorse!  I  had  faith  in  prayer, 
and  prayed  more  fervently.  While  thus  engaged 
in  praying  earnestly  for  aid  to  preach,  the  thought 
rose  in  my  mind,  or  as  though  one  spoke  to  me, 
saying,  *  You  pray  for  grace  to  teach  others  the 
way  of  salvation,  and  you  have  not  prayed  for 
your  own  salvation.'  This  thought  or  word  did 
not  leave  me.  My  salvation  followed  me  wherever 
I  went.  I  felt  constrained  to  pray  for  myself: 
and  while  praying  for  myself  my  mind  became 
alarmed.  I  felt  and  saw  myself  a  poor  sinner. 
I  was  lost!  My  agony  became  great.  I  was 
plowing   in   the  field,  and    knelt   down    at  each 


1§£  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

end  of  the  furrow  to  pray.  The  word  lost,  lost 
(verlohren),  went  every  round  with  me.  Midway 
in  the  field  I  could  go  no  farther,  but  sunk  behind 
the  plow,  crying,  '  Lord,  save,  I  am  lost ! '  And 
again  the  thought  or  voice  said,  '  I  am  come 
to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  is  lost.'  In  a  mo- 
ment a  stream  of  joy  was  poured  over  me.  I 
praised  the  Lord,  and  left  the  field  and  told  my 
companion  what  joy  I  felt. 

"  As  before  this  I  wished  the  Sabbath  far  off, 
now  I  Avished  it  were  to-morrow.  Sunday  came; 
the  elder  brother  preached.  I  rose  to  tell  my 
experience  since  my  call  to  the  ministry.  When 
speaking  of  my  lost  estate  and  agony  of  mind, 
some  in  the  congregation  began  to  weep.  This 
gave  me  encouragement  to  speak  of  our  fall  and 
lost  condition,  and  of  repentance.  The  Sabbath 
following  it  was  the  same,  and  much  more.  Be- 
fore I  was  done  I  found  myself  in  the  midst  of 
the  congregation,  where  some  were  weeping 
aloud. 

"  This  caused  considerable  commotion  in  our 
church,  as  well  as  among  the  people  generally. 
It  was  all  new;  none  of  us  had  heard  or  seen  it 
before.  A  new  creation  appeared  to  rise  up  be- 
fore me,  and  around  me.  Now  scripture,  before 
mysterious,  and  like  a  dead  letter  to  me,  was  plain 
of  interpretation;  was  all  spirit,  all  life  (alles  geist 
und  lebeii). 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  133 

"  Like  a  dream,  old  things  had  passed  away, 
and  it  seemed  as  if  I  had  awaked  to  new  life,  new 
thoughts,  new  faith,  new  love.  I  rejoiced  and 
praised  God  with  my  whole  heart.  This  joy,  this 
faith,  this  love  I  wished  to  communicate  to  those 
around  me;  hut,  when  speaking  thereof,  in  public 
or  in  private,  it  made  different  impressions  on 
different  persons.  Some  gave  a  mournful  look; 
some  sighed  and  wept,  and  would  say,  '  0  Martin, 
we  are  indeed  lost!' 

"Yes,  man  (der  menscK)  is  lost!  Christ  will 
never  find  us  till  we  know  that  we  are  lost.  My 
wife  was  the  next  lost  sinner  that  felt  the  same 
joy,  the  same  love." 

Mr.  Boehm's  evangelical  preaching  is  to  be 
dated  from  1758.  Though  his  preaching  was  dif- 
ferent from  that  common  among  the  Mennonites, 
no  general  opposition  was  at  once  excited.  He 
was  advanced  by  the  lotto  full  pastoral  standing— 
in  Mennonite  language  was  made  a  bishop  —  in 
1759.  Though  he  speaks  of  the  sudden  bursting 
forth  of  a  "  stream  of  joy,"  it  is  evident  that  at 
least  his  confidence  in  his  new-found  experience, 
and  especially  his  appreciation  of  the  proper  nat- 
ure of  his  public  ministry,  passed  through  dif- 
ferent stages. 

Along  with  the  many  Germans  that  about  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  crossed  the  line 


134  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

from  Pennsylvania  over  the  narrow  neck  of  Ma- 
ryland, into  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  then  called 
Xew  Virginia,  were  numerous  Mennonite  families. 
Some  of  Mr.  Boehm's  relatives  were  carried  along 
by  this  tide.  Here  the  Mennonite  families  were 
for  the  most  part  without  preaching.  About  this 
time  some  of  the  converts  of  the  famous  George 
Whitefield  reached  Xew  Virginia,  and  began  to 
preach  a  present  salvation.  "With  others,  some 
members  of  the  Mennonite  families  became  se- 
riously affected.  The  Mennonites  were  in  a 
dilemma,  and  applied  for  the  presence  and  advice 
of  some  of  their  own  preachers.  This  was  in 
1761.  Mr.  Boehm  was  told  by  some  that  scarcely 
knew  what  to  make  of  his  zeal  at  home,  that,  as 
he  was  now  so  ready  to  preach,  he  should  go.  To 
this  he  was  not  himself  disinclined.  He  had  an 
earnest  desire  "  to  find  the  truth  more  fully." 

A  case  will  illustrate  the  state  of  things  exist- 
ing in  Virginia.  A  daughter  of  a  Mr.  Keller, 
weighed  down  by  a  sense  of  her  lost  estate,  was 
almost  on  the  verge  of  despair.  Her  parents 
knew  not  what  to  do. 

"  At  this  crisis  Boehm  arrived.  -  After  saluta- 
tions had  passed  and  refreshments  had  been  taken, 
Boehm,  in  conversation  with  Keller,  inquired  how 
matters  stood  in  religion.  Keller  replied,  '  Most 
of  us  are  doing  well ;  but  some  new  doctrine  has 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  135 

of  late  been  preached  by  men  hereabout,  which 
has  caused  some  disturbance  anions:  us.' 

"  '  And  what  do  those  men  preach  ? ' 

"  4  What  they  preach  is  rather  more  than  I  can 
tell  yon,  but  it  is  different  from  what  we  have 
ever  heard.  Our  daughter,  about  two  months 
since,  was  at  their  meeting,  and  has  not  been  like 
herself  since.' 

"  '  And  for  two  months  she  has  been  at  no 
preaching? ' 

"  '  £s"o,  we  could  not  think  of  letting  her  go,  and 
have  wished  she  had  never  heard  those  people; 
and,  as  we  have  written  you,  there  are  others  of 
our  people  just  like  her,  melancholy  and  dejected, 
and  all  we  can  get  them  to  say  is,  "  we  are  lost  (ver- 
lohren),  we  have  no  true  religion;"  and  for  this 
reason  we  have  sent  for  you,  believing  that  they 
would  be  advised  by  our  own  preachers,  and  dis- 
miss their  gloomy  thoughts.' 

"  '  And  where  is  that  daughter  of  yours? ' 

"  '  Why,'  answered  the  mother,  '  there  you  see 
she  is,  and  has  not  spoken  a  word  to  any  of  us 
to-day,' 

"  Boehm  now  moved  his  chair  to  her  side  and 
sought  to  draw  from  herself  the  state  and  exer- 
cises of  her  mind.  She  listened  to  him  for  some 
time  in  silence,  breathing  at  intervals  a  deep  sigh. 
Soon  the  fountain  of  her  tears  was  opened  again, 


136  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

and  she  began  to  weep  aloud,  and  said,  '  Is  it 
possible  that  you,  a  stranger,  know  what  I  have 
felt  and  suffered  for  weeks,  and  you  believe  that 
I  am  a  sinner,  that  I  am  lost? ' 

"  '  Yes,  I  know  this,  my  daughter,  but  I  know 
Jesus  came  to  seek  and  save  that  which  is  lost; 
and  he  is  come  to  find  you,  and  to  save  you  to- 
night yet.     Do  you  believe  in  Jesus?' 

"  'Yes,  I  believe  Jesus  Christ  lives;  but  have  I 
not  offended  him?  "Will  he  not  come  and  judge 
the  world  and  me  ?  Oh,  that  Jesus  would  but  save 
me!' 

" '  Come/  said  Boehm,  '  we  will  kneel  down 
and  pray.'  They  knelt  down.  The  agony  of 
Miss  Keller  was  great.  She  cried,  '  Lord,  save, 
or  I  perish ! ' 

"'Yes/  said  Boehm,  'hold  to  that;  he  will 
save  and  that  speedily;'  and  so  it  was.  She  was 
blessed  and  all  her  sorrow  was  gone  —  dissolved 

in  joy-' 

"  Seeing  this,  her  mother  cried  out,  '  Martin, 
Martin!  what  have  you  done?  Why  did  you 
come?     What  will  become  of  us  now?' 

"  'Yes,'  replied  her  husband, '  what  will  become 
of  us?     We,  too,  are  lost!' 

"  That  night  was  a  night  of  mourning,  and  a 
night  of  joy  for  that  house,  for  the  morning  light 
found   them  all  rejoicing  in  the   love  of  God."  * 

* Spayth. 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  137 

Not  only  was  Mr.  Boehm  a  helper  in  the  Lord's 
work  in  Virginia,  bnt  he  himself  was  greatly 
helped  by  what  he  heard  and  beheld.  He  found 
many  souls  that  "  could  give  a  rational  and  script- 
ural account  of  their  experience  and  acceptance 
with  God." 

On  his  return  to  Pennsylvania,  the  old  forms 
and  bounds  could  not  confine  his  action  and 
efforts.  His  heart  was  greatly  enlarged,  and  he 
was  burdened  with  a  desire  to  extend  the  knowl- 
edge of  an  immediate  salvation.  He  now  began 
to  hold  meetings  on  week-days  as  well  as  on  Sab- 
bath. 

One  of  the  important  results  of  his  trip  to  Vir- 
ginia was  the  coming,  at  intervals,  of  the  "  Vir- 
ginia preachers,"  as  these  lay  evangelists  of 
Virginia  were  called,  into  Lancaster  County, 
Pennsylvania.  The  houses  are  still  pointed  out 
at  which,  when  on  their  way,  they  stopped.  In 
Virginia  they  were  called  "  New  Lights."  In  a 
distinct  form,  their  work  did  not  abide.  The 
preachers  were  sometimes  spoken  of  as  "  En- 
glish preachers,"  though  some  of  them  doubtless 
preached  in  the  German.  In  Lancaster  County 
they  co-operated  with  Mr.  Boehm  in  holding 
great  meetings  (grosse  Versammhingen) .  Great 
meetings  did  not  belong  to  the  economy  of  any 
single  body  of  Christians.     The  name  had  been 


138  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

applied  to  meetings  held  in  1724,  in  which  Dunk- 
ers  were  the  most  prominent,  and  in  1742,  in 
which  the  Moravians  were  the  most  prominent. 
With  these  meetings,  the  meetings  held  by  Mr. 
Boehm  seem  to  have  had  no  connection,  except 
that  arising  from  the  general  religious  condition 
of  the  people.  The  name,  however,  soon  came 
to  have  a  specific  application,,  At  the  time  of  the 
meeting  at  Isaac  Long's  barn,  a  Virginia  preacher 
was  present;  and  as  all  could  not  be  accommo- 
dated in  the  barn,  he  preached,  as  already  nar- 
rated, to  an  overflow  meeting  in  the  orchard. 
It  is  related  that  a  shower  of  rain  came  on  during 
the  meeting,  and  that  this  preacher  was  the  last 
to  leave  the  ground. 

Before  the  time  of  this  noted  meeting,  Mr. 
Boehm  had  made  numerous  converts  among  the 
Mennonites.  Among  these  were  the  three  broth- 
ers, Isaac,  John,  and  Benjamin  Long.  Isaac 
was  warm-hearted  and  very  demonstrative.  He 
was  frequently  present  at  meetings  held  at  a  dis- 
tance from  his  home.  John  Long  was  especially 
active  in  securing  the  presence  of  the  "Virginia 
preachers."  All  of  the  Longs  were  prosperous 
farmers. 

At  the  great  meeting  held  at  Isaac  Long's,  peo- 
ple were  present  from  York  and  Lebanon  coun- 
ties, a-s  well  as  from  Lancaster  County.  Lutherans, 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  139 

German  Reformed,  Mennonites,  and  others  were 
present.  The  movement  was  given,  at  this  time, 
a  new  impulse,  and  assumed,  for  the  first,  its  more 
proper  and  permanent  character.  Of  course,  the 
antecedent  elements  represented  by  Mr.  Otterbein 
are  not  made  so  prominent  in  this  chapter  as 
those  on  the  Mennonite  side.  At  the  great  meet- 
ing referred  to  the  different  elements  were  meas- 
urably consolidated  and  made  to  work  together. 
The  feature  deserving  of  the  most  abiding  re- 
membrance in  connection  with  this  meeting  is 
that  Otterbein,  Boehm,  and  the  Virginia  preacher 
present  are  said  to  have  formed  a  union,  with 
some  simple  but  definite  conditions  as  its  basis. 
One  of  these  conditions  was  liberty  in  the  practi- 
cal elements  of  baptism.  The  historic  mode  of 
baptism  with  the  Mennonites  was  by  pouring, 
and  only  adults  were  recognized  as  proper  sub- 
jects. The  Reformed  baptized  by  sprinkling,  and 
insisted  on  infant  baptism.  There  is  some  likeli- 
hood that  the  "  Virginia  preachers  "  baptized  by 
immersion. 

Lancaster  County  is  famous  for  the  origin  of 
new  religious  movements.  The  Evangelical  Asso- 
ciation, the  River  Brethren,  and  other  bodies 
here  had  their  origin.  Pennsylvania,  in  early 
times,  was  in  a  state  of  moral  ferment,  and  the 
country  swarmed  with  a  diversity  of  "  sects."     It 


140  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

is  not  strange  that  a  new  movement  should  be 
opposed,  but,  in  the  condition  of  things,  nothing 
could  have  been  worse  than  indiscriminate  oppo- 
sition. In  more  than  one  case,  years  of  evangel- 
ical life  and  moderation  were  necessary  to  change 
a  judgment  that  had  been  formed  in  unreasoning 
bigotry  and  spiritual  blindness. 

The  movement  under  consideration  was  in  no 
way  designed  to  lead  to  the  formation  of  a  new 
denomination.  The  leaders  did  not  know  what 
exception  would  be  taken  to  their  course,  unti] 
opposition  revealed  its  character  and  extent.  In 
different  places,  especially  in  Mennonite  commu- 
nities, independent  conversions  took  place.  Many 
instances  of  this  independent  impulse  toward  an 
inward  spiritual  life  could  be  given,  but  the  cases 
of  Mr.  Otterbein  in  the  Reformed  Church,  and 
of  Mr.  Boehm  among  the  Mennonites,  are  for 
the  present  sufficient  for  illustration.  The  union 
formed,  with  the  results  appearing  here  and  there, 
became  more  and  more  offensive  to  the  Mennon- 
ites; and  to  those  that  especially  regarded  them- 
selves as  "  church  "  people  the  offense  was  all  the 
greater. 

After  the  Isaac  Long  meeting,  Mr.  Boehm 
spent  more  and  more  of  his  time  in  preaching. 
He  early  appears  as  preaching  regularly  at  three 
special  places.      He  preached  at  Pequea  (to  the 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  141 

"  Pequea  brethren  "  of  liis  own  neighborhood),  at 
Landis  Valley  (to  the  "  Conestoga  brethren  "  in 
the  Long  neighborhood),  and  at  Donegal  (to  the 
"  River  brethren  "  on  the  Susquehanna).  For  the 
meetings  at  his  own  place  he  fitted  up  the  old 
house  that  had  been  built  and  occupied  by  his 
father.  The  congregations  were  all  principally 
made  up  of  Mennonites. 

The  congregation  on  the  Susquehanna  proved 
too  conservative  for  Mr.  Boehm's  rapidly  advanc- 
ing apprehensions  and  methods.  His  enlarged 
association  with  others  whose  history  was  so  dif- 
ferent from  that  of  the  Mennonites  created  diffi- 
culties. There  were  also  objections  to  his  liberal 
views  and  practice  as  to  baptism.  The  congre- 
gation was  made  up  of  converted  people;  but 
from  some  diversity  in  the  original  elements  of 
the  congregation,  as  well  as  from  other  causes, 
peculiarities  were  developed,  and  soon  thereupon 
an  aversion  to  change.  While  there  was  no  ill 
feeling  and  no  formal  opposition,  it  was  yet  sig- 
nified to  Mr.  Boehm  that  "  he  was  too  far  in 
advance  "  for  his  services  to  be  acceptable.  This 
congregation  some  time  afterward,  about  1776, 
became  the  mother  congregation  for  the  de- 
nomination known  as  River  Brethren.  They 
seem  to  have  no  tradition  of  the  fact  here  given, 
and  they  sometimes    give   themselves  a   Dunker 


142  LIFE    OF    OTTERBII'N. 

rather  than  n  Mennonite  origin.  The  reason  is 
doubtless  their  resemblance,  in  some  things,  to 
the  Dunkers. 

The  religious  condition  of  the  Mennonites  at 
this  time  was  at  a  very  low  point.  Menno  and 
his  early  followers  were  evangelical  in  their  expe- 
rience as  well  as  hlameless  in  their  lives;  and 
even  many  of  his  later  followers  continued  to 
possess  a  high  degree  of  moral  earnestness.  But 
Menno's  own  views  of  the  Christian  life  were 
after  the  portraiture  of  the  Epistle  of  James,  and 
did  not  "bring  into  explicit  prominence  the  doc- 
trine of  justification  hy  faith.  While  this  doctrine 
was  doubtless  implied  hy  him,  as  it  certainly  was 
by  James,  it  lost  among  the  later  Mennonites 
even  this  implied  place.  The  Mennonites,  though 
becoming  generally  less  strict  in  discipline  and 
life,  still  held  with  relative  tenacity  to  the  forms 
prescribed  by  their  founder.  These  forms,  though 
largely  profitless  and  hinderingin  religion, yet  con- 
served among  them,  for  the  most  part,  a  respect- 
able morality;  though  in  numerous  individual 
cases,  the  transforming  power  of  religion  being 
wanting,  gross  offenses  were  not  repressed  from 
the  outer  life.  Among  the  Mennonites  them- 
selves have  arisen  many  accusers,  but  as  many  of 
their  accusations  relate  to  outer  customs  they 
need  not  be  considered  here.     It  has  been  stated 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBE1N.  143 

that  John  Herr,  who  after  1800  sought  to  intro- 
duce reforms  among  the  Mennonites,  received  his 
impulse  from  Martin  Boehm.  His  work,  how- 
ever, only  led  into  a  deeper  hondage  to  form,  and 
a  more  dwarfing  exclusiveness.  The  rich  oppor- 
tunities that  the  Xew  World  offered  to  the  lon^- 
oppressed  Mennonites,  while  able,  along  with  their 
wanton  surroundings,  to  turn  them  for  a  time 
yet  more  from  the  spirit  of  Menno,  could  not 
completely  destroy  the  foundation  for  better 
things.  The  barrenness  began  to  be  felt,  and 
the  dearth  raised  its  cry  unto  Heaven. 

Neither  Martin  Boehm  nor  any  others  that 
were  laboring  along  with  him,  as  has  already 
been  said,  desired  to  separate  from  the  church  or 
churches  to  which  they  belonged;  nor  were  they 
lacking  in  care  and  prudence  to  prevent  any  need- 
less offense.  Separation,  in  the  case  of  Martin 
Boehm,  however,  was  brought  about  by  the  de- 
termination on  the  part  of  his  Mennonite  breth- 
ren to  remain  where  they  were,  and  to  sever  from 
themselves  by  excommunication  any  that  might 
turn  individuals  of  their  number  into  another 
way.  If  it  had  been  a  resolution  to  cast  out  a 
mere  human  troubler,  we  could  not  but  applaud 
it;  but  if  it  was  God's  time  to  awaken  the  peo- 
ple, and  his  purpose  to  use  Martin  Boehm  as  an 
instrument,  then  the  complaints  of  the  Mennon- 


144  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEOT. 

ites  against  him  were  altogether  misdirected, 
If  the  harmony  and  tranquillity  of  the  Mennon- 
ites were  sorely  disturbed,  they  were  responsi- 
ble. Even  one  poor  instrument  on  the  side  of 
God's  providence  would  determine  a  case  of  right 
and  duty  against  any  amount  of  unwillingness 
and  opposition.  Wrongs  and  resistance  to  duty 
have  no  chartered  rights.  Surely  God  called  and 
the  great  body  of  Mennonites  were  not  ready. 
They  cast  out  Martin  Boehm,  but  did  not  stop 
the  work.  The  idea  of  separation,  which  to 
"  church  "  people  was  still  below  the  horizon,  was 
not  a  novelty  to  the  Mennonites.  They  them- 
selves were  separatists.  If  others  did  not  suit 
them,  or  if  they  did  not  suit  others — then  sepa- 
ration. But  the  idea,  though  making  itself  ap- 
parent in  the  history  of  the  Mennonites,  did  not 
even  with  them,  as  it  does  with  us,  take  its  plac 
upon  the  prow  of  men's  thoughts. 

A  communication  sent  out  by  the  Mennonite 
bishops,  ministers,  and  deacons  of  Lancaster 
County  and  adjacent  parts,  to  make  known  to 
the  membership  at  large  the  grounds  for  the  ex- 
pulsion of  Martin  Boehm,  by  a  strange  fortune, 
has  been  preserved.  Ls  entire  contents  may  be 
found  in  an  English  form,  covering  fourteen  lair- 
sized  pages,  in  a  book  entitled  "  The  Mennonite 
Church   and   her   Accusers,"   by   Rev.    John    F. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  145 

Funk.  In  the  paper  there  are  marks  of  a  long 
struggle,  with  the  usual  amount  of  irritation  and 
misunderstanding.  Mr.  Boehin  sought  once  and 
again  to  satisfy  his  brethren,  and  they,  in  turn, 
waited  and  demanded  that  he  desist  from  the 
course  on  which  he  had  entered.  Outside  of  the 
fact  that  the  interests  of  vital,  soul-saving  Chris- 
tianity were  in  the  balance,  the  document  speaks 
well  for  the  character  of  the  Mennonite  Church. 
If,  in  some  respects,  the  paper  makes  an  unfavor- 
able showing  for  the  accused,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  it  is  a  representation  proceeding  from 
but  one  side,  and  drawn  up  after  years  of  harass- 
ing efforts  to  silence  or  "reform." 

After  a  few  introductory  paragraphs,  the  paper 
proceeds  as  follows:  "  Now,  however,  it  is  a  well- 
known  fact  that  between  us  and  Martin  Boehm 
there  is,  in  many  points,  a  difference  of  views, 
and  we  have,  at  times,  for  several  years  already, 
labored  to  become  more  of  one  mind  and  to  un- 
derstand each  other  better,  that  we  might  be 
found  faithful  laborers  in  the  church  of  Christ; 
which,  howTever,  has  not  been  accomplished,  and 
the  matter  has  from  time  to  time  become  worse. 
For  the  reason,  however,  that  the  brotherhood  do 
not  possess  as  good  a  knowledge  of  the  cause  and 
origin  of  this  disagreement  between  us,  which 
consists  of  many  things  both  in  words  and  deeds, 


146  LIFE    OF    OTTERBETN. 

as  wc  do  (although  many  are  not  entirely  unac- 
quainted with  it),  we  have  concluded  to  write 
them  and  thus  explain  the  matter.  In  the  first 
place,  in  that  in  which  we  believe  that  he  [Boehm] 
erred  in  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  he  had  a  great  deal 
to  do  with  forming  a  union  and  associating  with 
men  (professors)  who  allow  themselves  to  walk  on 
the  broad  way,  preaching  warfare  and  the  swear- 
ing of  oaths,  both  of  which  are  in  direct  opposi- 
tion to  the  truths  of  the  gospel  and  the  teachings 
of  Christ." 

Jt  is  also  stated  that  "  he  maintained  that  Satan 
was  a  benefit  to  man,"  and  declared  that  "  faith 
cometh  from  unbelief,  life  from  death,  and  light 
out  of  darkness."  These  latter  charges  seem  to 
have  grown  out  of  the  phraseology  that  Boehm 
became  familiar  with,  through  his  association 
with  the  Whitefield  preachers  from  Virginia.  His 
r  ubsequent  course  shows  that  his  predestinarian 
views  did  not  extend  beyond  his  uninstructed 
and  unfortunate  phraseology. 

It  is  also  stated  that  he  said  that  "  the  Scriptures 
might  be  burned,"  and  that  the  Mennonite  minis- 
ters laid  too  much  "  stress  upon  the  ordinances." 
Boehm  disclaimed  all  disrespect  for  the  ordi- 
nances; and  in  reference  to  the  burning  of  the 
Scriptures,  it  is  easy  to  infer  what  he  actually 
meant. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIX.  147 

On  a  sheet  accompanying  the  old  manuscript 

it  was  stated,  as  quoted  in  substance  in  the  hook 
referred  to,  that  "  the  church  could  no  longer  re- 
tain Boehm  and  his  followers  that  had  been  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  as  brethren,  and  that  they 
should  be  excluded  from  the  communion  and 
counsels  of  the  brotherhood." 

The  real  causes  of  Mr.  Boehm's  expulsion  were 
the  part  that  he  had  in  promoting  revivals,  and 
his  association  with  those  that  belonged  to  other 
churches.  The  clashing  with  the  "  established 
order  of  the  church,"  though  put  in  the  fore- 
ground by  the  paper,  was  only  an  incident,  yet 
seemingly  a  necessary  one.  The  fact  that  some  th:  t 
were  brought  into  the  "  union  "  used  the  English 
language  was  also  made  a  ground  of  complaint. 
Any  seeming  excess  or  imprudence  on  Boehm's 
part  could  have  been  but  a  transient  incident. 
The  reaction  from  a  formal  and  lifjless  clinch  is 
almost  sure  to  produce  an  aversion  to  even  salu- 
tary forms,  and  for  this  the  church  itself  ha  its 
share  of  responsibility.  But  Mr,  Boehm's  course 
was  marked  with  moderation  and  the  absenc :  ot 
wild  and  ungoverned  tendencies.  When  required 
to  desist  from  his  course,  "  he  said  he  could  not, 
but  if  it  could  be  shown  him  he  had  done  wrong, 
he   would    recall."     When  he  was    expelled,  he 


148  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

"  O  du  grosser  Siegesfuerst, 
Wie  hast  du  doch  so  sehr  geduerst 
Nach  der  Menschen  Heil  imd  Leben, 
Der  Du  Dich 
Auch  fuer  mich 
In  den  Tod  gegeben." 

The  following  gives  the  sense  of  the  above  — 

"  O  thou  triumphant  King, 
How  didst  thou  long  to  bring 
To  man  the  hope  of  life  and  heaven  ; 
Thyself  to  death,  for  even  me, 
Lord,  thou  hast  given." 

Though  Mr.  Boehm's  followers  were  in  a  gen- 
eral way  also  excommunicated,  there  was  no  com- 
plete separation  at  the  time.  Shortly  after  his 
expulsion,  and  before  1780,  we  find  him  preaching 
regularly,  by  his  own  appointing,  at  Rohrer's 
on  Mill  Creek,  at  Stoner's,  at  his  own  place,  and  at 
another  place  not  named.  Nor  was  his  preaching 
confined  to  these  places.  His  range  of  preaching 
soon  became  greatly  extended.  After  his  son 
Jacob  grew  up,  he  was  released  from  the  care  of 
the  farm,  and  gave  himself  up  to  the  work  of 
traveling  and  preaching. 

After  Mr.  Otterbein  removed  from  York,  and 
during  the  first  part  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
the  direct  oversight  of  that  part  of  the  revival- 
movement  belonging  to  the  state  of  Pennsylvania 
was  mostly  left  to  him. 

The  next  associate  of  Mr.  Otterbein  to  be  men- 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  149 

tioned  is  George  Adam  Geeting.  He  was  born 
February  6th,  1741,  at  Nieder  Schelden,  in  Xas- 
sau-Siegen,  at  present  a  part  of  the  province  of 
Hesse-^Tassau,  Prussia.  His  birthplace  was  thus 
quite  near  to  that  of  Mr.  Otterbein.  He  was  the 
youngest  child  in  his  father's  family.  He  was 
raised  in  the  Reformed  Church.  He  received  a 
fair  education,  acquiring  some  knowledge  of  the 
Latin  along  with  his  knowledge  of  the  German. 
When  he  grew  up  he  labored  as  a  miner.  In  his 
eighteenth  year  he  came  to  this  country.  As, 
owing  to  the  hostilities  between  France  and  En- 
gland, immigration,  as  said  by  a  leading  authority, 
was  "  entirely  suspended  "  between  1756  and  1761, 
he  could  have  come  with  no  company  of  immi- 
grants. He  doubtless  landed  at  Baltimore,  and 
thence  soon  proceeded  to  the  community  on  the 
Antietam,  in  Washington  County,  Maryland,  un- 
til 1776  a  part  of  Frederick  County.  Here  he 
made  his  home  for  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

In  the  Antietam  community  lie  was  engaged 
in  the  winter-time  in  teaching  school,  and  in  the 
summer-time  in  quarrying  stone  and  digging 
wells.  It  is  probable  that  the  school-house  at 
Antietam,  so  long  standing  by  the  meeting-house 
afterward  erected,  and  which  gave  to  the  meeting- 
house the  name  of  the  "  so-called  school-house," 
was  erected  about  this  time.      Both  wera  built 


150  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

upon  the  land  owned  by  the  grandfather  of  Elias 
■     Snively   (Schnebley),  the   present   holder.      It  is 
likely  that  it  was  in  this  school-house  that  the 
young  German  school-master  taught. 

The  community  had  frequently  been  visited  by 
the  Reformed  ministers  from  Frederick.  Mr. 
Steiner  likely  preached  at  this  place.  Mr.  Otter- 
bein  on  going  to  Frederick  in  1760  preached  also 
at  Antietain;  and  here,  probably  about  the  time 
that  his  first  visits  were  made,  he  had  in  his  au- 
dience young  Geeting.  The  latter  was  soon  con- 
verted, and  at  once  made  himself  useful  in  the 
religious  work  of  the  community.  As  the  years 
passed,  Mr.  Otterbein  came  to  find  in  this  German 
convert  what  he  found  in  no  other  person  with 
whom  his  long  life  and  great  labors  brought  him 
in  contact.  Geeting  was  to  him  a  real  Timothy. 
After  Mr.  Otterbein  moved  to  York,  his  visits  to 
Antietam  were  less  frequent,  but  yet  he  did  not 
cease  to  make  occasional  visits.  His  successors 
at  Frederiek  do  not  seem  to  have  visited  the 
place.  As  there  were  considerable  intervals  with- 
out preaching,  Mr.  Geeting  was  called  on,  as  he 
was  the  school-teacher,  to  read  sermons;  and  this 
he  did  with  evident  impression  upon  the  people. 
When  Mr.  Otterbein  became  acquainted  with  the 
good  results  of  Mr.  Geeting's  attempts  to  supply 
the  lack  of  ministerial  service,  he  directed  tL  x 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  151 

some  one  of  his  brethren,  on  the  next  Sabbath 
when  there  should  be  an  appointment  for  him  to 
read,  should  take  the  book  from  before  him,  and 
leave  him  to  his  own  extemporaneous  utterance. 
Mr.  Jacob  Hess  accordingly  did  this.  After  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation  Mr.  Geeting  proceeded,  and  gave 
a  very  impressive  exhortation  and  address.  This 
was  about  1772.  The  manner  in  which  he  sub- 
sequently acted  as  a  leader  at  Antietam  will  be 
given  further  along. 

On  Whitsuntide,  1783,  he  was  ordained,  in  the 
Antietam  church,  by  Mr.  Otterbein  and  Rev.  ¥m. 
Hendel.  This  ordination  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  formal,  as  V  was  expected  that  in  1786  Mr. 
Geeting  would  apply  to  the  Reformed  ccetus,  of 
which  he  had  previously  become  a  member,  for 
ordination.  It  is  not  known  whether  the  ccetus 
recognized  the  earlier  ordination,  or  whether  it 
granted  a  subsequent  formal  ordination.  He 
certainly  came  to  be  recognized  as  properly 
ordained. 

Mr.  Geeting  was  a  man  of  good  physical  con- 
stitution, and  capable  of  great  endurance.  He 
became  possessed  of  a  good  farm,  and  everything 
about  him  was  indicative  of  good  condition.  The 
good  horses  that  he  kept  are  even  yet  spoken  of. 
He  was  scrupulously  neat  in  dress,  though  he 
never  wore  the  customary  clerical  suit. 


152  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

He  was  possessed  of  superior  gifts.  His  sym- 
pathies were  ready  and  abundant.  His  under- 
standing of  occasions,  and  faculty  of  adaptation, 
were  much  beyond  the  usual.  He  had  a  voice 
combining  sweetness  and  power.  His  method 
and  continued  attention  to  books  made  him  capa- 
ble of  great  and  increasing  usefulness.  In  his 
preaching  he  was  earnest,  yet  deliberate.  His  ad- 
dresses to  the  conscience  and  feelings  were  always 
impressive,  and  sometimes  strikingly  moving. 
As  he  was  in  the  first  place,  and  in  the  strictest 
sense,  a  product  of  the  revival-movement,  there 
were  combined  in  him  its  strictest  moral  and  log- 
ical characteristics.  Otterbein  and  Boehm,  though 
authors  in  the  movement,  were  themselves  formed 
by  earlier  and  different  influences.  The  distinct- 
ive character  of  Mr.  Geeting  was  apparent  in  all 
oi  his  course,  from  first  to  last. 

Kone  of  those  that  were  associated  with  him 
traveled  and  labored  more  abundantly  than  he. 
In  very  important  respects  he  exerted  a  decided 
influence  upon  Mr.  Otterbein;  and  on  some  sub- 
jects, in  regard  to  which  Mr.  Otterbein  has  given 
us  do  expression,  Mr.  G-eeting  is  the  exponent  of 
his  thoughts.  Xo  field  of  labor  was  more  enjoy- 
able to  Mr.  Otterbein  than  that  that  awaited  him 
at  the  Antietam,  and  in  no  counsels  or  associa- 
tions did  he  more  confide  or  find  truer  pleasure 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  153 

than  in  those  that  he  enjoyed  at  George  A.  Geet- 
ing's.  We  shall  often  meet,  in  these  pages,  this 
younger  associate. 

The  meeting-house  already  referred  to,  doubt- 
less the  first  built  by  the  co-laborers  and  follow- 
ers of  Mr.  Otterbein,  was  built  about  1780,  near 
Mr.  Geeting's  place.  The  materials  were  drawn 
together  and  fashioned  into  a  church  by  the  zeal 
and  good-will  of  the  community.  The  ground 
on  which  the  church  stood  was  never  deeded. 
The  house  was  a  humble  log  structure,  but  it  be- 
came a  center  of  wide  and  manifold  labors.  It 
was  in  later  times  frequently  called  the  Geeting 
Meeting-house.  When  the  first  informal  society 
formed  at  Antietam  as  the  result  of  the  revival- 
movement  was  organized,  George  Adam  Geet- 
ing, Samuel  Baker,  Henry  Smith,  and  soon  after- 
ward Jacob  Hess,  with  their  families,  constituted 
the  members.  This  must  have  been  before  1774 
—  how  long  before  can  not  be  known.  Over  the 
society  thus  formed  Mr.  Geeting  might  be  called 
the  pastor,  though  hit  labors  were  largely  of  an 
itinerant  character. 

Among  those  whose  awakening,  and,  in  some 
cases,  beginning  labors  belonged  to  the  period 
before  1774,  were  Frederick  Schafier,  who  was 
converted  during  Mr.  Otterbein's  labors  at  Lan- 
caster, Martin  Crider,  the  next  oldest  preacher  in 


154  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

the  revival-movement  after  Otterbein  and  Boehm, 
and  Adam  Lehman,  then  living  near  the  north 
line  of  Frederick  County.  There  were  also  oth- 
ers whose  first  labors  belonged  to  this  period,  and 
others  still  that  soon  entered  the  vineyard. 

With  this  notice  of  some  of  his  early  co-labor- 
ers, let  ns  turn  to  the  new  field  on  which  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein was  entering  at  Baltimore. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

CALL    TO    BALTIMORE. 

Mr.  Otterbein's  Position  —  The  Old  Congregation  —  Troubles 
■ —  Mr.  Schwope  —  The  New  Congregation  —  Efforts  to  Bring 
it  Back — Independence  of  the  Congregation  —  Asbury's 
Statement  —  Hildt's  Testimony — The  Property  of  the  Cor- 
gregatiou  —  Trial  of  1840  —  Extract  from  Griffith's  Annals  — 
Not  Represented  by  Elders — Importance  of  Reaching  the 
Truth. 

AY  4th,  1774,  Mr.  Otterbein  assumed 
charge  of  a  new  and  independent  con- 
'^  gregation  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  Ma- 
v\  ryland.  The  congregation  was  the  re- 
sult of  a  separation  from  the  original  German 
Reformed  church.  The  step  was  a  very  im- 
portant one  to  Mr.  Otterbein.  He  was  now 
forty-eight  years  of  age,  and  in  the  prime  of  his 
matured  powers.  He  had  been  twenty-two  years 
In  America.  These  years  were  full  of  history  to 
him.  His  belief  in  a  spiritual  church,  his  belief  in 
the  use  of  extraordinary  means  for  bringing  souls 
to  Christ,  and  his  part  in  introducing  social  meet- 
ings had  not  made  his  way  more  smooth.  He  was 
as  far  from  rashness  as  he  was  from  self-seeking. 
It  was  not  from  frowardness  that  he  broke  away 

155 


156  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

from  the  trammels  that  had  hitherto  embarrassed 
his  ministry,  and  sought  thenceforth  to  raise  up, 
from  the  wilds  of  sin  and  the  world,  a  spiritual 
people.  That  there  were  not  converted  people  in 
the  old  churches  is  by  no  means  asserted.  It  was 
a  fact,  however,  that  the  notions  and  practice  of 
the  multitude  of  church-members  were  such  as  to 
almost  completely  neutralize  all  effort  for  the  pro- 
motion of  practical  and  personal  religion. 

Baltimore,  in  1774,  contained  about  six  thou- 
sand inhabitants.  The  German  population,  though 
less  in  proportion  than  in  many  places,  was  yet 
considerable,  and  while  largely  due  to  direct  immi- 
gration from  Europe,  was  also  the  result,  to  no 
inconsiderable  extent,  of  immigration  from  Penn- 
sylvania, and  from  other  parts  of  Maryland. 

The  beginning  of  the  Reformed  church  in 
Baltimore  dates  back  to  1750.  Yet  there  was  no 
church-building  before  about  1757,  and  no  regu- 
lar pastor  before  about  1760.  Both  the  Reformed 
and  the  Lutheran  churches  were  for  a  considera- 
ble time  quite  weak,  and  worshiped  together  in 
the  same  house.  The  first  regular  pastor  of  the 
Reformed  church  was  Rev.  John  Christian  Fa- 
ber,  whose  ministrations  were  formal  and  languid, 
and  whose  life  was  offensive.  Mr.  Otterbein  had 
frequently  visited  the  Baltimore  congregation 
while   he  was  yet  at    Lancaster,  and    before  the 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  157 

congregation  had  a  regular  pastor.  A  consider- 
able part  of  the  congregation  had  but  little  to  do 
with  Mr.  Faber  from  the  first.  As  time  passed, 
many  that  had  been  converted  in  other  places 
under  Mr.  Otterbein's  labors  moved  into  Balti- 
more. 

In  the  year  1770  complaints  were  made  against 
Mr.  Faber,  and  there  was  much  dissension  in  the 
congregation.  Mr.  Faber,  on  his  part,  made  com- 
plaints against  his  opponents,  and  also  against 
Rev.  Benedict  SchwOpe,  who  was  at  the  time 
preaching  near  Baltimore.  Mr.  Faber  and  Mr. 
Schwope  submitted  their  differences  to  the  coetus, 
and  a  committee  appointed  to  investigate  the  case 
vindicated  the  character  and  conduct  of  Mr. 
Schwope.  At  this  time  Mr.  Schwope  had  the 
sympathy  of  the  coetus.  In  the  early  part  of 
1771  the  crisis  came.  The  evangelical  party,  not 
succeeding  in  securing  the  removal  of  Mr.  Faber, 
withdrew  and  elected  Mr.  Schwope  for  their 
pastor. 

Although  Mr.  Schwope  is  spoken  of  by  Dr. 
Harbaugh  —  on  the  authority  of  Dr.  Elias  Heiner 
—  as  a  young  man  recently  arrived  from  Ger- 
many, he  was  at  this  time  forty  years  of  age. 
As  early  as  1763  he  was  an  elder  in  the  Reformed 
congregation  at  Pipe  Creek,  and  as  early  as  1754 
his  name  appears  in  the  church-list  at  York.     If 


158  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

it  is  correct  to  identify  him  with  the  Benedict 
Schwope  at  York,  he  possibly  had  the  advantage 
of  the  first  part  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  ministry  at 
York.  At  all  events,  in  1774,  he  must  have  been 
already  for  a  number  of  years  acquainted  with 
Mr.  Otterbein. 

In  1771  Mr.  Schwope's  party  bought  several 
lots  on  Howard's  Hill,  and  so  vested  their  right 
in  the  same  as  to  hold  the  property  at  their  own 
will.  By  October  they  had  erected  a  small  meet- 
ing-house. In  a  position  to  save  their  independ- 
ence, no  difference  what  course  the  opposing 
party  might  take,  and  yet  desirous  of  a  union,  if 
thereby  the  whole  united  congregation  could  be 
brought  under  an  evangelical  minister,  they  pre- 
sented their  case  before  the  coetus. 

The  ccetus  made  earnest  efforts  to  unite  the 
congregations,  but  to  no  purpose.  At  the  session 
of  1771  it  was  proposed  that  both  Faber  and 
Schwope  should  withdraw,  and  that  the  two  par- 
ties should  unite  and  agree  upon  a  minister.  The 
plan  failed,  because,  according  to  one  version, 
Mr.  Schwope's  people  would  not  allow  him  to 
withdraw,  or  because,  according  to  another  ver- 
sion— Mr.  Otterbein's — the  old  party,  after  the  re- 
tirement of  Mr.  Faber,  hastily  chose  as  their 
minister,  without  consulting  the  other  party,  Rev. 
"W.  Wallauer,  a  man  in  every  respect  more  objec- 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  159 

tionable  than  Mr.  Faber.     In  the  coetus  of  1772 

no  progress  was  made.  At  this  session  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein  was  placed  upon  a  committee  of  supply 
for  the  Baltimore  charge,  but  as  Mr.  AYallauer 
continued  to  hold  his  place,  it  is  evident  that  Mr. 
Otterbein  did  not  visit  Baltimore  unless,  perhaps, 
to  preach  occasionally  for  the  new  congregation. 
In  1773,  Mr.  Schwope,  from  some  cause,  was  anx- 
ious to  withdraw,  and  his  congregation  extended 
a  call  to  Mr.  Otterbein;  but  he  declined  in  conse- 
quence of  the  discouraging  condition  of  the  con- 
gregation. As  solicitations  continued  to  be  sent 
to  him,  he  expressed  himself  as  willing  to  accept, 
provided  the  ccetus  would  consent.  The  coetus  at 
its  meeting  in  1773  did  not  favor  his  acceptance, 
whereupon  both  parties  extended  a  call  to  Dr. 
Ilendel.  In  case  Dr.  Hendel  should  not  accept, 
the  united  congregations  were  given  the  privilege 
of  choosing  any  other  member  of  the  ccetus  as 
pastor.  The  old  party,  however,  refused  to  in- 
dorse the  action  of  their  delegates  in  calling  Dr. 
Ilendel.  The  condition  of  things  was  not  im- 
proving. 

The  following  spring  Mr.  Otterbein  was  again 
called  by  the  new  congregation,  and,  notwithstand- 
ing the  action  of  the  coetus,  he  accepted.  He  was 
censured  by  the  coetus,  though  informally.  This 
must  have  been  at  the  session  in  tho  fall  of  1774. 


160  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

At  the  same  session  Faber  was  received  into  the 
coetus.  In  1775  the  ecetns  voted  to  receive  the 
congregation;  and  following  out  the  same  line, 
the  coetus  in  1784  voted  to  recognize  both  congre- 
gations as  long  as  they  should  "  remain  faithful 
to  the  doctrine  and  customs  of  the  Reformed 
Church."  In  all  of  these  evidences  of  struggles 
in  the  Baltimore  congregations,  and  in  the  coetus, 
we  must  not  suppose  that  there  is  adequately  rep- 
resented the  character  of  the  struggle  that  an 
earnest  minority  had  to  maintain  against  an  une- 
vangelical  majority.  Nor  is  it  to  be  understood 
that  we  are  left  to  the  imperfect  testimony  already 
given  to  form  our  judgment  as  to  the  character, 
in  an  ecclesiastical  view,  of  the  new  congregation. 

Some  of  the  points  that  show  that  the  Balti- 
more congregation  was  confirmed  in  its  independ- 
ent position  from  a  time  shortly  before  Mr.  Otter- 
bein  assumed  charge  of  it  will  now  be  given. 

The  name  of  the  congregation  was  "The  German 
Evangelical  Reformed  Church,"  or  "  The  Evangel- 
ical Reformed  Church,"  the  latter  being  the  form 
in  which  the  name  first  appeared.  It  will  be  found 
by  giving  a  thought  to  the  ecclesiastical  history  of 
America  that  ecclesiastical  titles  may  be  almost  if 
not  quite  the  same  without  identifying  religious 
bodies.  In  some  cases  the  only  difference  is  in  the 
emphasis  that  is  given  to  the  little  article  the%   The 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  161 

great  effort  is  to  emphasize  fidelity  to  a  starting- 
principle,  from  which  the  new  bodies  believe  there 
has  been  more  or  less  departure.  Dr.  Theodore 
Appel,  of  the  Reformed  Church,  gives  the  following 
statement  as  to  the  use  of  the  term  evangelical: 
"  The  German  Reformed  Church,  as  closely  allied 
to  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  enjoying  in  common 
with  it  much  of  the  fervor,  depth,  geniality,  and 
freedom  of  German  Christianity,  still  retains  the 
epithet  evangelical  in  the  fatherland;  whereas  in 
other  Reformed  churches  its  original  distinctive 
use  has  in  a  great  measure  been  forgotten.  In  its 
current  use  at  present  in  this  country  it  is  in- 
tended to  express  an  antagonism  to  prelacy  and 
high-churchism."  The  term  evangelical  has  not 
formed  a  part  of  the  title  of  the  German  Re- 
formed Church  in  this  country;  and  the  cases  in 
which  it  has  been  applied  to  local  congregations — 
as  being  more  recent,  or  the  result  of  the  associa- 
tion of  congregations  with  the  Lutherans,  or  as 
presenting  an  epithet  without  emphasis  —  have 
no  force  or  bearing  in  the  present  case.  Even 
the  number  of  these  irrelevant  cases  is  the  very 
fewest.  Xo  one  will  deny  that  the  term  evan- 
gelical, as  formiug  a  part  of  the  name  of  the 
Baltimore  church,  was  expressive  of  the  most 
decided  antithesis.  The  name  of  the  church, 
while  in  itself  not  conclusive  as  to  the  independ- 


162  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

ence  of  the  church,  forms  a  significant  starting- 
point  for  our  inquiries,  and  in  connection  with 
other  things  "becomes  itself  an  evidence. 

In  1772  Mr.  Schwope  became  acquainted  with 
Mr.  Asbury.  February  3d,  1774,  Mr.  Asbury 
wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Otterbein,  whom  he  had  not 
at  that  time  met,  but  whom  he  already  knew 
through  Mr.  Schwope,  the  object  of  the  letter 
being  to  prevail  upon  Mr.  Otterbeiu  to  settle  in 
Baltimore.  Two  days  afterward,  after  a  conver- 
sation with  Mr.  Schwope,  Mr.  Asbury  made  the 
following  entry  in  his  journal:  "On  Saturday 
Mr.  S.  came  to  consult  me  in  respect  to  Mr.  O.'s 
coming  to  this  town.  We  agreed  to  promote  his 
settling  here,  and  laid  a  plan  nearly  similar  to 
ours  —  to  wit,  that  gifted  persons  amongst  them 
who  may,  at  any  time,  be  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  speak  for  God,  should  be  encouraged, 
and  if  the  synod  would  not  agree,  they  were  still 
to  persevere  in  the  line  of  duty."  Mr.  Asbury's 
observation  is,  of  course,  silent  as  to  Mr.  Otter- 
bein'a  earlier  labors,  upon  which  he  had  entered 
without  "  plan."  It  likewise  fails  to  indicate  fully 
the  situation  of  things  three  months  later.  Mr. 
Schwope  was  even  in  advance  of  Mr.  Asbury  as 
to  some  points,  as  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  in 
^  1772  he  believed  that  the  Methodist  preachers 
should  have  conceded  to  them  the  privilege  of 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  16& 

administering  the  ordinances,  and  the  complete 
functions  of  ministers,  while  Mr.  Asbury,  who 
regarded  himself  as  but  a  layman,  steadily  main- 
tained the  opposite. 

A  direct  testimony  is  borne  by  Mr.  John  Ilildt, 
who  was  a  member  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  vestry  as 
early  as  1809,  and  who  for  a  number  of  years  be- 
fore Mr.  Otterbein's  death  was  one  of  his  near- 
est and  most  trusted  friends.*  He  says  in  a 
letter,  a  part  of  which  was  published  in  the  Re- 
ligious Telescope  of  July  28th,  1858,  that  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein  was  called  "  provided  he  would  consent  to 
be,  or  become,  independent  of  the  synod  of  the 
German  Reformed  Church,"  and  that  when  Mr. 
Otterbein  was  apprised  of  the  condition  insisted 
on  by  the  congregation,  "  he  demanded  of  them 
three  days'  time  for  consideration,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  which  time  he  acceded."  Mr.  Ilildt  added, 
"  Beino*  no  longer  trammeled  with  the  rules  and 
discipline  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  he 
formed,  with  the  consent  of  his  brethren,  a  new  set 
of  rules  for  the  membership  of  his  new  and  inde- 
pendent church."     The  independence  spoken  ol 

*  Even  down  to  the  close  of  his  life,  Mr.  Ilildt  could  not  speak  ol  Mi. 
Otterbein  without  a  rush  of  tears.  He  was  a  man  of  good  education  and 
strong,  responsible  character.  He  was  converted  under  an  Easter  sermon 
preached  by  Mr.  Otterbein;  and  so  much  was  he  esteemed  by  him  that  Mi. 
Otterbein  once  said  to  him,  "  I  want  you  to  hold  yourself  for  my  place." 
In  1817  he  began  to  preach,  and  was  long  a  successful  minister  among  the 
United  Brethren. 


164  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

was,  of  course,  even  as  indicated  in  the  last 
remark  of  Mr.  Ilildt,  in  regard  to  the  position 
of  the  congregation,  rather  than  in  regard  to  Mr. 
Otterbein  personally. 

The  manner  of  deeding  and  holding  the  lots  on 
Howard's  Hill  —  the  historic  site  of  the  church- 
houses  of  the  congregation  —  is  also  an  evidence. 
This  ground  was  deeded  August  7th,  1771,  by 
Cornelius  Howard  to  Conrad  Smith,  John  Stover, 
and  Valentine  Larsh,  the  consideration  being 
ninety  pounds,  Maryland  currency  (two  hundred 
and  forty  dollars  and  thirty  cents).  The  deed  was 
made  to  these  men,  not  in  trust,  but  personally, 
which  in  itself  and  for  those  times  might  not 
be  thought  to  signify  much.  It  was  the  custom 
then,  however,  to  name  the  grantees  of  church- 
property  as  "  trustees,"  or  to  specify  "  in  trust," 
except  in  cases  in  which  the  parties  knew  or  cared 
little  in  regard  to  the  form  of  holding  church- 
property.  The  present  case  was  not  such  an 
exception,  as  many  things  indicate.  The  deed 
for  the  lot  conveyed  to  the  Reformed  church  in 
Frederick,  in  1764,  was  made  to  the  "  elders  in 
the  Reformed  church  and  their  successors  forever." 
Let  us  notice  further  the  manner  in  which  the 
Baltimore  property  was  held.  John  Stover,  whose 
will  was  probated  October  26th,  1774,  bequeathed 
his  title  in  the  lots  to  George  Dagon.      Conrad 


LIFE    OF   OTTKRBEIN.  165 

Smith,  whose  will  was  probated  June  9th,  1777, 
bequeathed  his  title  in  the  lots  to  Eev.  Wm.  Otter- 
bein.     Valentine  Larsh,  whose  will  was  probated 
January  30th,  1781,  bequeathed  his  title  in  the 
lots   to   his  son  Abraham    Larsh.     Thus   in  ten 
years,  as  far  as  form  was  concerned,  the  property 
entirely    changed   hands.     July   2d,   1786,   these 
second  holders  deeded  their  respective  interests  in 
said   property   to    George    Devilbiss.       In   1792 
George  Devilbiss  deeded  the  property  to  William 
Otterbein,  and  the  latter  by  will  bequeathed  the 
same  to   Peter   Hoffman  and  Wm.  Baker,  who 
should  "  take  all  legal  measures  to  vest  the  said 
property  in  the  elders,  trustees,  and  members  of 
the  German  Evangelical  Reformed  Church."     If 
this  manner  of  holding  the  property,  for  a  period 
of  forty  years,  means  anything,  it  means,  if  not 
that  a  congregation  to  be  preserved  absolutely 
independent  was  contemplated    at  the   start,  at 
least    that  the  congregation  was  determined,  in 
the  absence  of  any  settled  line  of  procedure,  to 
keep  its  future,  under  Providence,  within  its  oVn 
power.     This  necessarily  meant  a  basis  of  inde- 
pendence at  the  first.     By  keeping  the  property 
in  the  hands  of   the  most  trusted,  they  secured 
their  object.     As  early  as  1774  a  confirmed  atti- 
tude of  independence  was  reached.   But  the  char- 
acter of  the  congregation  within  itself  was,  to  a 
considerable  extent,  a  subsequent  development. 


166  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

The  charter  obtained  in  1798,  under  which  the 
property  was  finally  and  permanently  held,  states 
that  all  property  should  be  "  absolutely  and  un- 
conditionally "  vested  in  the  elders,  trustees,  and 
members  of  the  German  Evangelical  Reformed 
Church. 

In  1840,  when  a  few  disaffected  members, 
strongly  abetted  by  persons  in  the  Reformed 
Church,  sought  to  wrest  the  property  from  its 
proper  holders  and  carry  it  over  to  the  Reformed 
Church,  the  congregation  renewed  the  statement 
of  its  originally  independent  character.  In  the 
trial  that  followed  the  court  gave  a  summary 
judgment,  "  in  strong  and  decisive  terms,"  in 
favor  of  the  congregation.  This  judgment  was 
based  upon  all  the  legal  papers  pertaining  to  the 
congregation,  and  upon  the  history  of  the  con- 
gregation; and  it  ought,  from  every  point  of 
view,  to  be  regarded  as  decisive.  It  was  not  only 
made  clear  that  the  congregation  was  independent 
in  its  relations,  but  that  it  was  not  Reformed  in 
character.  Yet  a  second  German  Reformed 
church,  erected  in  1843,  has  been  styled  the  Third 
German  Reformed  Church. 

The  case  might  be  rested  here,  but  a  few  points 
yet  remain  to  be  stated.  The  following  incidental 
testimony  of  Griffith,  coming  as  it  does  from  a 
disinterested  source,   and  from   an   early  period, 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  167 

must  be  conceded  to  have  some  force:  "  Several 
members  of  the  German  or  Dutch  Presbyterian 
society,  attached  to  the  Rev.  Win.  Otterbein,  form 
a  separate  religious  society  which  they  distinguish 
by  the  name  of  the  German  Evangelical  Reformed 
Church,  and  they  purchased  a  lot,  where  their 
present  cliurch  is  on  Conway  Street,  and  worship 
in  a  small  house  there."*  In  all  of  his  references, 
Griffith  gives  to  the  Reformed  Church  the  name 
given  above,  and  to  Mr.  Otterbein's  congregation 
its  proper  designation. 

Further  evidence  may  be  found  in  the  set  of 
articles  given  in  the  church-book  of  the  congre- 
gation, and  in  the  charter  of  the  congregation, 
both  of  which  documents  will  be  found  in  a  sub- 
sequent chapter. 

A  concluding  testimony,  one  that  seems  to 
make  all  others  superfluous,  is  the  fact  that  no 
elders  from  Mr.  Otterbein's  church,  in  the  almost 
forty  years  of  his  connection  with  it,  were  ever 
in  attendance  at  the  sessions  of  the  coetus.  The 
lists  and  papers  belonging  to  this  period  in  the 
history  of  the  Baltimore  church,  in  connection 
with  the  minutes  of  the  coetus  that  are  extant,  seem 
to  assure  this  fact  beyond  dispute.  The  ministers 
serving  churches  under  the  coetus  were  instructed 
always  to  bring  an  elder  or  elders  with  them. 

^P»ge  63  of  Griffith's  Annals  of  Baltimore,  published  in  1822. 


168  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

It  has  been  exceedingly  disagreeable  to  be  re- 
quired to  go  to  such  length  in  giving  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Baltimore  congregation,  but  the  better 
feelings  that  all  concerned  desire  will  be  impossi- 
ble until  the  real  facts  in  this  case  are  allowed  to 
go  to  hi  story. 

The  determination  of  the  character  of  the 
congregation  does  not  declare  what  Mr.  Otter- 
bein's  personal  relations  to  the  German  Reformed 
Church,  at  that  time,  were.  By  taking  charge 
of  the  Baltimore  con^re gation  he  did  not  neces- 
sarily  cast  off  his  relation  to  the  coetus.  What 
his  relations  finally  became  will  be  indicated  in 
the  proper  place. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

ESTABLISHMENT    AND    PROGRESS     OF     THE    BALTIMORE 
CONGREGATION. 

Churches  Built— The  Congregation  —  Rules  of   Discipline  — 
Later  History. 

T  has  been  said  that  under  Mr.  Otterbein's 
faithful  labors  the  Baltimore  congregation 
successively  outgrew  and  was  successively 
able  to  replace  two  church-buildings.  This 
statement  is,  however,  at  fault.  The  first 
building,  erected  by  Mr.  Schwope  in  1771,  was 
doubtless  left  for  Mr.  Otterbein  to  complete,  and 
put  in  proper  order. 

In  1785,  eleven  years  after  Mr.  Otterbein  went 
to  Baltimore,  the  church  now  standing,  and  the 
only  one  erected  during  his  pastorate,  was  built. 
The  front  of  the  church,  now  shut  in  by  build- 
ings, at  first  faced  a  street,  then  known  as  Wal- 
nut Street,  running  diagonally  and  approaching 
somewhat  nearer  to  the  church  than  does  the 
north  and  south  street  now  lying  in  that  direction. 
The  church-building  was  constructed  of  brick, 
and  exclusive  of  the  steeple,  which  was  subse- 
quently added,  was  sixty-five  feet  in  length.  The 
169 


170  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

breadth  was  forty-eight  feet.  There  was,  as  seen 
in  many  churches  erected  in  that  day,  an  upper 
course  of  windows,  designed  to  admit  light  to 
the  gallery,  which  extended  all  around  the  interior 
of  the  building,  except  the  end  at  which  the  pul- 
pit stood.  The  building  was  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial kind,  and  after  the  lapse  of  ninety-nine 
years  still  answers  well  its  purpose.  At  the  same 
time  when  the  church  was  built,  a  parsonage,  a  cot- 
tage of  four  rooms,  was  also  built.  The  entire  cost 
of  the  church  and  parsonage  was  five  thousand  dol- 
lars, a  sum  representing  a  larger  value  then  than 
now.  This  was  a  large  sum  for  the  congregation 
to  raise,  especially  as  some  of  its  members  had 
before  borne  a  part  in  the  erection  of  other 
church-buildings.  Valentine  Larsh,  and  likely 
also  Conrad  Smith,  whose  names  are  given  in  con- 
nection with  the  purchase  of  the  lots  on  Howard's 
Hill,  had  served  on  the  building  committee  in  the 
erecting  of  the  church-building  that  was  held  by 
Mr.  Faber's  party.  They  certainly  did  not  leave 
the  congregation  whose  house  they  had  helped  to 
build  to  escape  burdens. 

If  it  had  not  been  for  Mr.  Otterbein's  personal 
contributions,  the  congregation  could  not  have 
built  so  substantially.  When  the  church  and 
parsonage  were  finished,  there  was  a  "  balance 
due  Father  Otterbein  "  of  over  one  thousand  five 


I    i       I   r*i 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  171 

hundred  dollars.  In  reference  to  this  debt  Mr. 
Otterbein  wrote  in  the  church-book  in  1788,  "  The 
above  debt  is  partly  paid  [one  third  of  it],  the 
balance  made  a  present  to  the  congregation." 
Then  followed  his  name.  He  is  said  to  have  con- 
tributed in  all  toward  the  buildings,  two  thousand 
one  hundred  and  thirty-six  dollars.  This  money, 
apparently  all  that  he  had  at  the  time,  and  per- 
haps all  that  he  ever  had  beyond  his  living, 
was  mostly  received  from  his  wife's  father  and 
brother.  How  fully  the  people  were  in  accord 
with  him,  and  how  fully  he  confided  in  them, 
appear  from  his  casting  his  all  among  them. 

Mr.  Otterbein  had  not,  from  the  first,  found  the 
most  encouragement  and  success  in  his  work.  He 
received  from  Mr.  Schwope,  not  a  church,  but  the 
unorganized  elements  of  a  congregation.  With 
1774  the  real  history  of  the  church  began.  In 
consequence  ot  the  discouragements  from  the 
Revolutionary  War,  and  the  disturbed  condition 
of  the  country  in  general,  he,  in  1779,  made  up 
his  mind  to  return  to  Europe,  and  there  remain 
for  a  time;  but  the  dangers  of  the  voyage  influ- 
enced him  to  give  up  the  purpose.*  As  scarcely 
any  (Srermans  were  corning  to  this  country,  and 
as  those  that  were  here  were  seeking  homes  away 
from  the  cities,  the  prospect  of  usefulness  in  Bal- 


*  Pilgt'ireise,  p.  320. 


172  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

timore  was  growing  weaker  rather  than  stronger. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  the  prospect  became 
much  better,  and  the  numbers  of  the  congregation 
began  to  increase. 

The  Reformed  coetus,  since  the  withdrawal  of 
the  new  congregation  in  1771,  had  been  seeking 
to  bring  about  a  union.  The  resolution  against 
Mr.  Otterbein's  taking  charge  of  the  congregation, 
and  the  "  informal  censure  "  on  his  accepting  the 
call  tendered  him,  were  due  to  the  fear  that  he 
would  not  or  could  not  bring  about  a  union.  The 
resolution  passed  in  1775  whereby  the  ccetus  offered 
to  receive  the  new  congregation  has  been  referred 
to.  In  1784  the  coetus  gave  up  its  effort  in  this  di- 
rection, as  is  indicated  by  the  following  resolution: 
"Resolved,  That  inasmuch  as  reunion  is  not  to  be 
expected  [in  Baltimore]  both  congregations  be 
retained  and  recognized  as  congregations  con- 
nected with  ccetus,  so  long  as  they  remain  faith- 
ful to  the  doctrine  and  customs  of  the  Reformed 
Church."  This  change  in  the  attitude  of  the 
ccetus  may  have  pleased  Mr.  Otterbein,  though 
it  is  certain  that  he  had  no  anxiety  for  a  change 
in  the  relations  of  his  congregation;  and  it  is 
certainly  the  case  that  after  1774  the  independ- 
ence already  spoken  of  was  held  to  be  a  settled 
feature  of  the  congregation. 

The  rules  of  discipline  adopted  by  the  Baltimore 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIX.  173 

congregation,  along  with  some  prefatory  remarks, 
will  now  be  given  entire.  As  these  rnles  pro- 
ceeded from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Otterbein,  no  one 
will  complain  of  the  space  taken  up.  The  fol- 
lowing are  the  rules  as  adopted  in  1785,  and 
recorded  at  that  time  in  the  church-book,  the 
prefatory  remarks  being  likewise  included: 

William  Otterbein  came  to  Baltimore,  May  4th. 
1774,  and  commenced  his  ministerial  work.  With- 
out delay,  and  by  the  help  of  God,  he  began  to  or- 
ganize a  church,  and,  as  far  as  it  was  possible  for 
him,  to  bring  it  within  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the 
gospel.  Such  disciplinary  church-rules  as  were 
needful  were  therefore,  from  time  to  time,  adopted, 
made  known,  and  the  importance  of  keeping  them 
earnestly  enjoined.  But  the  afflicting  and  long-con- 
tinued war,  and  the  dispersion,  on  account  of  the 
same,  of  many  of  its  members  into  the  interior  of 
the  country,  prevented  these  rules  from  being  writ- 
ten in  a  book  for  their  preservation. 

But  through  and  by  the  goodness  of  God  peace 
and  quietness  being  restored,  and  with  the  gathering 
together  of  former  members,  and  with  a  considerable 
addition  of  new  members,  the  church  finds  itself,  at 
this  time,  considerably  increased.  Therefore  it  is 
unanimously  concluded  and  ordained,  by  the  whole 
church,  to  bring  the  constitution  and  ordinances 
of  this  church  into  the  following  form,  which  we 
hold   as  agreeing  with   the   word   of  God ;  and   for 


174  LIFE    OP    OTTERBEIN. 

their  permanency  and   perpetual   observance,  here- 
with record  and  preserve. 

1.  By  the  undersigned  preacher  and  members  that 
now  constitute  this  church,  it  is  hereby  ordained 
and  resolved,  that  this  church,  which  has  been 
brought  together  in  Baltimore  by  the  ministration 
of  our  present  preacher,  W.  Otterbein,  in  the  future, 
consist  of  a  preacher,  three  elders,  and  three  trustees, 
an  almoner,  and  church-members ;  and  these  together 
shall  pass  under  and  by  the  name  —  The  Evangel- 
ical Reformed  Church. 

2.  No  one,  whoever  he  may  be,  can  be  preacher 
or  member  of  this  church  whose  walk  is  unchristian 
and  offensive,  or  who  lives  in  some  open  sin.  (I. 
Tim.  iii.  1-3;  I.  Cor.  v.  11-13.) 

3.  Each  church-member  must  attend  faithfully 
the  public  worship  on  the  Sabbath  day,  and  at  all 
other  times. 

4.  This  church  shall  yearly  solemnity  keep  two 
days  of  humiliation,  fasting,  and  prayer,  which 
shall  be  designated  by  the  preacher — one  in  the 
spring,  the  other  in  the  autumn  of  the  year. 

5.  The  members  of  this  church,  impressed  with 
the  necessity  of  a  constant  religious  exercise,  of 
suffering  the  word  of  God  richly  and  daily  to  dwell 
in  them,— (Col.  iii.  16;  Heb.  iii.  13;— x.  24,  25), 
—  resolve  that  each  sex  shall  hold  meetings  apart, 
once  a  week,  for  which  the  most  suitable  day, 
hour,  and  place  shall  be  chosen,  for  the  males  as 
well  as  the  females— for  the  first,  an  hour  in   the 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  175 

evening,  and  for  the  last  an  hour  in  the  day-time, 
are  considered  the  most  suitable.  In  the  absence  of 
the  preacher,  an  elder  or  trustee  shall  lead  such 
meetings. 

The  rules  of  these  special  meetings  are  these: 

(a.)  No  one  can  be  received  into  them  who  is  not 
resolved  to  flee  the  wrath  to  come,  and,  by  faith  and 
repentance,  to  seek  his  salvation  in  Christ,  and  who 
is  not  resolved  willingly  to  obey  the  disciplinary 
rules  which  are  now  observed  by  this  church  for  good 
order  and  advance  in  godliness,  as  well  as  such  as 
in  the  future  may  be  added  by  the  preacher  and 
church  vestry  ;  yet,  always  excepted,  that  such  rules 
are  founded  on  the  word  of  God,  which  is  the  only 
unerring  guide  of  faith  and  practice. 

(6.)  These  meetings  are  to  commence  and  end 
with  singing  and  prayer ;  and  nothing  shall  be  done 
but  what  will  tend  to  build  up  and  advance  godli- 
ness.* 

(<?.)  Those  who  attend  these  special  meetings  but 
indifferently,  sickness  and  absence  from  home  ex- 
cepted, after  being  twice  or  thrice  admonished,  with- 
out manifest  amendment,  shall  exclude  themselves 
from  the  church. 

(d.)  Every  member  of  this  church  should  fer- 
vently engage  in  private  worship,  morning  and  even- 
ing pray  with  his  family,  and  himself  and  his 
household  attend  divine  worship  at  all  times. 

*  There  was  more  of  the  class-meeting  and  less  of  the  prayer- meeting 
in  these  meetings  than  belonged  to  the  social  meetings  as  first  introduced 
by  Mr.  Otterbein. 


176  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

(e.)  Every  member  shall  sedulously  abstain  from 
all  backbiting  and  evil-speaking  of  any  person,  or 
persons,  without  exception,  and  especially  of  his 
brethren  in  the  church.  (Rom.  xv.  1-3;  II.  Cor. 
xii.  20;  I.  Peter  ii.  1;  James  iv.  11.)  The  trans- 
gressor shall,  in  the  first  instance,  be  admonished 
privately ;  but,  the  second  time,  he  shall  be  openly 
n  buked  in  the  class-meeting. 

(/.)  Every  one  must  avoid  all  worldly  and  sinful 
(  ompany,  and  to  the  utmost  shun  all  foolish  talking 
and  jesting.  (Ps.  xv.  4;  Eph.  v.  4-11.)  This 
offense  will  meet  with  severe  church-censure. 

(</.)  No  one  shall  be  permitted  to  buy  or  sell  on 
the  Sabbath,  nor  attend  to  worldly  business ;  or  to 
travel  far  or  near,  but  each  shall  spend  the  day  in 
quietness  and  religious  exercises.    (Isa.  lviii.  13,  14.) 

(  h.)  Each  member  shall  willingly  attend  to  any 
of  the  private  concerns  of  the  church,  when  required 
so  to  do  by  the  preacher  or  vestry;  and  each  one 
shall  strive  to  lead  a  quiet  and  godly  life,  lest  he 
give  offense,  and  fall  into  the  condemnation  of  the 
adversary.     (Math.  v.  14-16;  I.  Pet.  ii.  12.) 

6.  Persons  expressing  a  desire  to  commune  with 
us  at  the  Lord's  table,  although  they  have  not  been 
members  of  our  church,  shall  be  admitted  by  con- 
sent of  the  vestry;  provided  that  nothing  justly  can 
be  alleged  against  their  walk  in  life,  and  more  espe- 
cially when  it  is  known  that  they  are  seeking  their 
salvation.  After  the  preparation  sermon,  such  per- 
sons may  declare  themselves  openly  before  the  as- 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  177 

sembly,  also,  that  they  are  ready  to  submit  to  all 
wholesome  discipline;  and  thus  they  shall  be  re- 
ceived into  the  church. 

7.  Forasmuch  as  the  difference  of  people  and  de- 
nominations end  in  Christ,— (Rom.  x.  12 ;  Col.  iii. 
11)— and  availeth  nothing  in  him,  but  a  new  creat- 
ure__(Gal.  vi.  13-16)  — it  becomes  our  duty,  accord- 
ing to  the  gospel,  to  commune  with,  and  admit  to 
the  Lord's  table,  professors,  to  whatever  order  or 
sort  of  the  Christian  church  they  belong. 

8.  All  persons  who  may  not  attend  our  class- 
meetings,  nor  partake  of  the  holy  sacrament  with 
us,  but  attend  our  public  worship,  shall  be  visited, 
by  the  preacher,  in  health  and  in  sickness,  and  on 
all  suitable  occasions.  He  shall  admonish  them, 
baptize  their  children,  attend  to  their  funerals,  im- 
part instruction  to  their  youths ;  and,  should  they 
have  any  children,  the  church  shall  interest  itself 
for  their  education. 

9.  The  preacher  shall  make  it  one  of  his  high- 
est duties  to  watch  over  the  rising  youth,  diligently 
instruct  them  in  the  principles  of  religion,  accord- 
ing to  the  word  of  God  *  He  should  catechise  them 
once  a  week ;  and  the  more  mature  in  years,  who 
have  obtained  a  knowledge  of  the  great  truths  of 
the   gospel,  should  be  impressed  with    the   impor- 

*  No  doctrinal  standard,  outside  of  the  Bible,  is,  in  these  articles,  re- 
ferred to.  The  Heidelberg  Catechism,  while  prized  by  Mr.  Otterbein,  was 
yet,  doubtless,  at  this  time,  accepted  by  him  as  Wesley  accepted  the  Thirty- 
Nine  Articles  -  with  the  reserved  liberty  to  modify  and  construe.  He  cate- 
chised rather  than  taughj  a  catechism. 
12 


178  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

tance  of  striving,  through  divine  grace,  to  become 
worthy  recipients  of  the  holy  sacrament.  And  in 
view  of  church-membership,  such  as  manifest  a  de- 
sire to  this  end  should  be  thoroughly  instructed  for 
a  time,  be  examined  in  the  presence  of  their  parents 
and  the  vestry,  and,  if  approved,  after  the  prepara- 
tion sermon,  they  should  be  presented  before  the 
church,  and  admitted. 

10.  The  church  is  to  establish  and  maintain  a 
German  school,  as  soon  as  possible ;  the  vestry  to 
spare  no  effort  to  procure  the  most  competent  teach- 
ers, and  devise  such  means  and  rules  as  will  promote 
the  best  interests  of  the  school. 

11.  That,  after  the  demise  or  removal  of  the 
preacher,  the  male  members  of  the  church  shall 
meet,  without  delay,  in  the  church-edifice,  and  after 
singing  and  prayer,  one  or  more  shall  be  proposed 
by  the  elders  and  trustees.  A  majority  of  votes 
shall  determine  the  choice,  and  a  call  shall  be  made 
accordingly ;  *  but,  should  the  preacher  on  whom 
the  choice  falls,  decline  the  call,  then  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible others  shall  be  proposed,  and  a  choice  made. 
But  here  it  is  especially  reserved,  that  should  it  so 
happen  that  before  the  demise  or  removal  of  the 
preacher,  his  place  should  already  have  been  pro- 
vided for,  by  a  majority  of  votes,  then  no  new  choice 
shall  take  place. 

12.  No  preacher  can  stay  among  us  who  is  not 

*  It  will  be  noticed  that  there  is  no  reference  to  any  authority  outside  of 
the  congregation. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  179 

in  unison  with  our  adopted  rules,  and  order  of 
things,  and  class-meetings,  and  who  does  not  dili 
gently  observe  them. 

13.  No  preacher  can  stay  among  us  who  teaches 
the  doctrine  of  predestination  (Gnadenwahl),  or  the 
impossibility  of  falling  from  grace,  and  who  holdeth 
these  as  doctrinal  points.* 

14.  No  preacher  can  stay  among  us  who  will 
not  to  the  best  of  his  ability  care  for  the  various 
churches  in  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  Virginia, 
which  churches,  under  the  superintendence  of  Will- 
iam Otterbein,  stand  in  fraternal  unity  with  us. 

15.  No  preacher  can  stay  among  us  who  shall 
refuse  to  sustain,  with  all  diligence,  such  members 
as  have  arisen  from  this  or  some  other  churches,  or 
who  may  yet  arise,  as  helpers  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord  as  preachers  and  exhorters,  and  to  afford  unto 
them  all  possible  encouragement,  so  long  as  their 
lives  shall  be  according  to  the  gospel,  f 

*  The  old  church  in  Baltimore,  among  other  regulations  adopted  in 
1789,  adopted  the  following:  "No  foreign  preacher  can  preach  in  our 
church  without  the  consent  of  the  pastor  and  consistory,  and  he  must  ac- 
knowledge the  Reformed  confessions  of  Switzerland  and  Hollar1."  This 
rule  agrees  well  with  the  requirement  that  the  church  in  Holland  placed 
upon  the  Germans  as  a  condition  on  which  assistance  would  be  given.  In 
regard  to  predestination,  no  contrast  could  be  greater  than  that  presented 
by  the  rule  adopted  by  Mr.  Otterbein's  church  and  the  Reformed  confes- 
sions referred  to.  While  Mr.  Otterbein's  doctrinal  views  appear  to  hav 
occasioned  no  trouble  in  the  Reformed  Church,  the  expression  on  doctrine 
as  given  in  the  thirteenth  article  above  quoted,  was,  especially,  in  view  of 
the  connection  with  the  Dutch  Church,  decidedly  un-Reformed.  It  is  not 
likely  that  Mr.  Otterbein  directly  antagonized  Calvini-em  before  his  removal 
to  Baltimore. 

f  Articles  fourteen  and  fifteen,  showing  the  progress  of  the  revival' 
movement,  will  be  referred  to  on  another  page. 


180  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

16.  All  the  preceding  items  shall  be  presented  to 
the  preacher  chosen,  and  his  full  consent  thereto 
obtained,  before  he  enters  upon  his  ministry. 

17.  The  preacher  shall  nominate  the  elders  from 
among  the  members  who  attend  the  special  meet- 
ings, and  no  others  shall  be  proposed;  and  their 
duties  shall  be  made  known  unto  them,  by  him,  be- 
fore the  church. 

18.  The  elders,  so  long  as  they  live  in  accord- 
ance with  the  gospel,  and  shall  not  attempt  to  intro- 
duce any  new  act  contrary  to  this  constitution  and 
these  ordinances,  are  not  to  be  dismissed  from  their 
office,  except  on  account  of  debility,  or  other  cause. 
Should  an  elder  wish  to  retire,  then  in  that  case,  or 
in  case  of  removal  by  death,  the  place  shall  be  sup- 
plied by  the  preacher,  as  already  provided. 

19.  The  three  trustees  are  to  be  chosen  yearly,  on 
New-year's-day,  as  follows : 

The  vestry  will  propose  six  from  among  the  mem- 
bers who  partake  with  us  of  the  holy  sacrament. 
Each  voter  shall  write  the  names  of  the  three  he  de- 
sires as  trustees,  on  a  piece  of  paper,  and  when  the 
church  has  met,  these  papers  shall  be  collected, 
opened,  and  read,  and  such  as  have  a  majority  of 
votes  shall  be  announced  to  the  church,  and  their 
duties  made  known  unto  them,  by  the  preacher,  in 
the  presence  of  the  church. 

20.  The  almoner  shall  be  chosen  at  the  same  time, 
and  in  the  same  manner  as  the  trustees,  and  at  the 
next  election,  will  present  his  account. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  181 

21.  The  preacher,  elders,  and  trustees  shall  at. 
tend  to  all  the  affairs  of  the  church,  compose  the 
church-vestry,  and  shall  be  so  considered. 

22.  All"  deeds,  leases,  and  other  rights  concern- 
ing  the  property  of  this  church,  shall  be  conveyed, 
in  the  best  and  safest  manner,  to  this  church-vestry, 
and  their  successors,  as  trustees  of  this  church. 

23.  Should  a  preacher,  elder,  or  trustee  be  ac- 
cused of  any  known  immorality,  upon  the  testimony 
of  two  or  three  credible  witnesses,  the  same  shall 
be  sustained  against  him,  and  he  shall  be  immedi- 
ately suspended;  and,  until  he  gives  sure  proof  of 
true  repentance,  and  makes  open  confession,  he  shall 
remain  excluded  from  this  church.  The  same  rule 
shall  be  observed  and  carried  out  in  relation  to 
members  of  the  church  who  shall  be  found  guilty 
of  immoral  conduct.  (I.  Cor.  v.  11-13 ;  I.  Tim.  v. 
20;  Tit.  iii.  10.) 

"24.  All  offenses  between  members  shall  be  dealt 
with  in  strict  conformity  with  the  precepts  of  our 
Lord.  (Matt  xviii.  15-18.)  No  one  is,  therefore, 
permitted  to  name  the  offender,  or  the  offense,  ex- 
cept in  the  order  prescribed  by  our  Savior. 

25.  No  member  is  allowed  to  cite  his  brother 
before  the  civil  authority,  for  any  cause.  All  differ- 
ences shall  be  laid  before  the  vestry,  or  each  party 
may  choose  a  referee  from  among  the  members  of 
the  church,  to  whom  the  adjustment  of  the  matter 
shall  be  submitted.  The  decision  of  either  the 
vestry  or  referees  shall  be  binding  on  each  party; 


182  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

nevertheless,  should  any  one  believe  himself  wronged, 
he  may  ask  a  second  hearing,  which  shall  not  be  re- 
fused. The  second  hearing  may  be  either  before  the 
same  men,  or  some  others  of  the  church ;  but  who- 
soever shall  refuse  to  abide  by  this  second  verdict, 
or,  on  any  occasion,  speak  of  the  matter  of  dispute, 
or  accuse  his  opponent  with  the  same,  excludes  him- 
self from  the  church. 

26.  The  elders  and  trustees  shall  meet  four 
times  in  the  year;  namely,  the  last  Sabbath  in 
March,  the  last  Sabbath  in  June,  the  last  Sabbath 
in  September,  and  the  last  Sabbath  in  December, 
in  the  parsonage-house,  after  the  afternoon  service, 
to  take  the  affairs  of  the  church  into  consideration. 

27.  This  constitution  and  these  ordinances  shall 
be  read  every  New-year's-day,  before  the  congrega- 
tion, in  order  to  keep  the  same  in  special  remem- 
brance, and  that  they  may  be  carefully  observed, 
and  no  one  plead  ignorance' of  the  same. 

28.  We,  the  subscribers,  acknowledge  the  above- 
written  items  and  particulars,  as  the  ground-work 
of  our  church,  and  we  ourselves,  as  co-members,  by 
our  signatures,  recognize  and  solemnly  promise  re- 
ligious obedience  to  the  same. 

WILLIAM  OTTERBEIN,  teacher. 
Lehard  Herbach,  [Leonard  Harbaugh.] 
Henry  Weitner,  [Weidner.]  [  Elder, 

Peter  Hoffman. 

Philip  Bier. 
William  Baker. 
Abraham  Lorsh,  [Larsh.] 

Baltimore,  January  1,  1785. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  183 

All  of  the  members  of  the  church  recorded 
their  names  with  their  own  hand,  thereby  bind- 
ing themselves  to  the  constitution  and  principles 
of  the  church. 

No  one  can  fail  to  see  in  the  foregoing  articles 
an  attempt  to  supply  the  essential  elements  of  a 
church-discipline.  Something  was  indeed  trusted, 
on  the  basis  of  the  Scriptures,  to  the  Christian 
judgment  of  those  immediately  concerned;  but 
nothing  was  left  to  be  supplied  by  any  existing 
church-regulations  or  formal  statements  of  doc- 
trine. The  articles  are  not  only  complete  in 
themselves,  but  they  present,  in  discipline,  doc- 
trine, methods,  and  spirit  the  antithesis  of,  the 
features  belonging  to  the  Reformed  Church. 

In  1798  the  church  was  regularly  incorporated.* 
In  the  early  history  of  Maryland  there  was  no 
provision  for  the  incorporation  of  churches. 

*  Inasmuch  as  reference  has  frequently  been  made,  in  different  articles 
and  books,  to  the  charter  of  the  congregation,  that  document  will  be  in- 
serted here.  It  should  be  remembered  that  thirteen  years  elapsed  between 
the  drawing  up  of  the  articles  of  discipline  before  given  and  the  framing  of 
the  charter.  The  charter,  however,  presents  few  changes.  The  charter  is 
much  longer  than  that  of  the  old  church,  the  latter  containing  but  five  ar- 
ticles. It  will  be  noticed  that  in  the  charter  the  word  German  is  placed 
before  "  Evangelical  Reformed."  It  does  not  seem  to  have  been  thus  used 
before.  In  this  case,  though,  it  is  rather  used  for  fuller  description  than  as 
a  part  of  the  title.     The  following  is  the  charter: 

Whereas,  The  German  Evangelical  Reformed  Church  of  the  city  of 
Baltimore,  by  their  petition  to  the  General  Assembly,  have  prayed  that 
they  may  be  incorporated  with  powers  adequate  to  the  regulation  of  their 
temporal  concerns,  and  with  authority  to  take,  hold,  and  possess  property 


184  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

It  seems  that  after  the  points  that  have  been 
given,  and  others  that  involuntarily  rise  out  of 
the  simple  narration  of  events,  are  taken  into  ac- 
count, it  must  be  evident  that  Mr.  Otterbein's 
church  was  not  a  regular  Reformed  church.  If 
men  still    persist  in  making  statements  to  that 

sufficient  for  the  support  of  their  minister,  for  the  repairing  and  keeping 
in  repair  of  their  church,  for  building  and  keeping  in  repair  a  school-house, 
and  for  other  secular  matters  pertaining  to  their  society;  therefore, 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Maryland,  That  Wm.  Otterbein 
(the  present  minister),  Peter  Hoffman,  Philip  Bier,  and  Christian  Matioth 
(the  present  elders),  John  Shults,  Henry  Bender,  and  Thomas  Cronmiller 
(the  present  trustees),  with  all  the  present  members,  and  also  those  that 
may  hereafter  become  members  of  said  congregation  shall  be,  and  they  are 
hereby  declared  to  be  one  body  polite  and  corporate,  by  the  name  and  style 
of  elders,  trustees,  and  members  of  the  German  Evangelical  Reformed 
Church  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  and  by  that  name  and  style  shall  have 
perpetual  succession,  and  shall  be  capable  in  law  to  sue  and  be  sued,  to 
plead  and  be  impleaded,  in  any  court  of  law  and  equity  within  this  state  or 
elsewhere,  and  make,  change,  and  alter  at  pleasure  a  common  seal,  and 
shall  be  capable  hereafter  to  purchase,  receive,  hold,  and  enjoy  any  estate 
or  donation,  real,  personal,  or  mixed,  not  exceeding  six  thousand  dollars; 
and, 

Be  it  enacted,  That  the  male  members  of  the  said  church,  of  the  full 
age  of  twenty-one  years,  may  and  shall  meet,  on  the  first  Monday  of  Janu- 
ary next,  or  within  ten  days  thereafter  in  every  year  after  the  passage  of 
this  act,  at  their  church,  or  at  such  other  place  within  the  city  of  Baltimore 
as  may  be  appointed  by  the  elders  and  trustees,  for  the  time  being,  notice 
being  given  by  the  president  on  the  Sunday  preceding  the  day  of  such 
meeting,  and  may  and  shall  there  and  then,  elect  by  ballot  four  of  the 
most  pious  and  discreet  members  of  the  said  church  to  serve  as  elders  for 
one  year,  and  until  another  election  made  in  virtue  of  this  act;  as  also 
to  elect  four  other  discreet  members  of  their  body  as  trustees  to  serve 
for  one  year,  and  until  another  election  shall  be  made  in  virtue  of  this  act; 
and, 

Be  it  enacted,  That  in  all  cases  where  an  elder  or  elders,  trustee  or  trus- 
tees is  or  are  to  be  appointed  in  virtue  of  this  act,  the  president,  elders, 
and  trustees  for  the  time  being,  shall  at  least  eight  days  before  the  day  of 
suoh  election  nominate  from  the  the  most  pious  and  discreet  members  of 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  185 

effect,  then  there  is  an  end  to  any  agreement 
among  men,  and  persons  may  say  whatever  whims 
or  prejudice  may  suggest.  All  reasoning  and  as- 
sertion must  he  alike  irresponsible. 

Although  harmony  and  zeal  characterized  Mr. 
Otterheiu's  congregation,  the  numerical  increase 

the  said  church  double  the  number  of  elder  or  elders,  trustee  or  trustees, 
so  to  be  appointed;  and, 

Be  it  enacted,  That  the  president  appointed  for  the  lime  being,  and  the 
elders  and  trustees  now  appointed  or  their  successors  who  may  hereafter 
be  elected,  or  a  majority  of  them,  may  meet  together  from  time  to  time, 
and  as  often  as  they  may  judge  necessary,  to  transact,  manage,  and  regu- 
late the  business  of  the  church,  and  to  make  such  rules  and  by-laws  as  they 
may  judge  necessary  for  the  good  conduct  and  government  of  the  mem- 
bers, and  management  of  their  temporal  concerns;  provided  always  that 
such  rules  and  by-laws  be  not  contrary  to  the  constitution  and  laws  of  this 
state;  and, 

Be  it  enacted,  That  the  said  body  corporate  shall  not  be  able  or  capable 
of  purchasing  any  property,  real  or  personal,  unless  with  the  consent  and 
approbation  of  three  fourths  of  their  whole  number;  and, 

Be  it  enacted,  That  all  the  lands  and  tenements,  with  their  appurtenances 
now  vested  in  the  minister  or  any  other  person  for  the  use  of  the  said 
church,  and  all  other  property  of  the  said  church  shall  be  and  are  hereby 
absolutely  and  unconditionally  vested  in  the  said  body  corporate,  and  their 
successors  forever,  and  the  said  corporation  with  the  consent  and  approba- 
tion of  three  fourths  of  their  whole  number  shall  be  and  are  hereby  declared 
to  be  able  and  capable  of  bargaining,  and  selling,  and  leasing,  and  convey- 
ing any  part  of  the  said  property  or  any  other  property  that  may  hereaftei 
be  acquired  by  the  said  corporation,  in  as  full  and  effectual  a  manner  as 
any  person  or  body  polite  may  or  can  do;  and, 

Be  it  enacted,  That  at  all  meetings  of  the  said  elders  and  trustees  the 
minister  for  the  time  being  shall  be  the  president,  and  all  acts  or  deeds  of 
the  corporation  shall  be  signed  by  the  president  and  sealed  with  the  corpo- 
ration seal;  and  all  deeds  for  the  conveyance  of  any  land  of  the  corpora- 
tion, which  by  the  law  of  the  land  ought  to  be  acknowledged  and  recorded, 
shall  be  signed  and  sealed  as  aforesaid,  and  also  acknowledged  by  the  pres- 
ident in  behalf  of  the  corporation  in  the  same  manner  and  form  as  is  pre- 
scribed in  the  case  of  individual  grantors,  and  all  acts  and  deeds  of  the  said 
corporation  so  authenticated  shall  be  valid  and  effectual  in  law;  and, 


186  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

was  not  rapid.  In  1791  there  were  only  sixty 
members.  This  limited  success  can  be  accounted 
for  in  part  by  Mr.  Otterbein's  frequent  absences 
on  his  itinerant  tours;  but  it  was  also  due  in  part 
to  the  field  that  he  had  to  cultivate,  and  to  the 
rivalry  that  sprung  up  between  the  new  and  the 
old  congregations.*     In  character,  however,  the 

Be  it  enacted,  That  in  case  of  the  absence,  removal,  or  death  of  the 
minister,  the  elders  and  trustees  for  the  time  being  may  appoint  one  of 
their  own  body  president  pro  tempore,  who  during  such  absence  or  death, 
until  the  appointment  of  another  minister,  shall  have  all  the  authority  and 
privileges  of  a  president;  and, 

Be  it  enacted,  That  in  case  of  death,  resignation,  or  a  disqualification  of 
any  elder  or  trustee,  the  body  corporate  shall  without  delay  proceed  to  the 
election  of  another  person  in  his  place,  whereof  due  notice  shall  be  given 
by  the  president  to  the  members  of  the  corporation;  and, 

Be  it  enacted,  That  at  a  reasonable  time  before  any  and  every  election 
the  president  shall  nominate  and  appoint  three  persons  to  be  the  judges 
thereof. 

*  Some  light  is  thrown  on  the  situation  in  Baltimore  by  a  letter  written 
in  1786  by  Rev.  Nicholas  Pomp,  the  pastor  of  the  old  congregation.  The 
letter  certainly  gives  the  writer's  views  and  feelings.  While  some  rather 
severe  expressions  are  used  in  regard  to  Mr.  Otterbein,  or  perhaps  more 
particularly  "  his  people,"  it  is  yet  to  be  remembered  that  if  Mr.  Otterbein 
was  only  carrying  out  his  characteristic  work  of  evangelizing,  the  manner 
in  which  he  would  have  been  stigmatized  would  have  been  the  same.  Dr. 
Pomp's  views  of  things  appear  from  the  following  words  used  by  him  in 
1806:  "  I  not  only  answered  your  letters  but  also,  in  a  printed  newspaper, 
gave  my  views  in  regard  to  the  Methodists,  or  fanatics  (strabblers),  with  the 
hope  that  you  might  be  able  to  make  good  use  of  what  I  wrote."  The  fol- 
lowing are  extracts  from  the  letter:  "  The  division  caused  long  ago  by  Mr. 
Otterbein  was  like  a  certain  operation,  well  known  in  chemistry,  by  which 
the  quintessence  is  withdrawn  from  the  mass,  and  the  rest  remains  as  a 
caput  mortwum.  "  Mr.  Otterbein  is,  as  you  well  know,  my  rival,  who,  on  his 
part,  suffers  nothing  to  remain  undone  that  might  serve  to  keep  me 
down.  When  strangers  come  from  the  country,  or  from  Europe,  and  take 
up  their  residence  in  the  city,  he  and  his  people  are  very  busy  to  bring 
them  over  to  their  side.    How  contemptuously  they  speak  of  me,  under 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  187 

congregation  was  the  very  best.  It  was  composed 
of  the  most  enlightened,  substantial,  and  thrifty 
of  the  German  population  of  Baltimore,  and  their 
descendants,  to  this  day,  have  filled,  in  the  various 
circles  of  life,  high  and  honored  places. 

It  would  perhaps  be  expected  that  an  account 
would  be  given  here  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  domestic 
situation,  his  personal  habits,  and  his  personal  re- 
lations. This,  however,  will  be  given  in  a  subse- 
quent chapter. 

such  circumstances,  you  can  well  imagine.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  the 
greater  number  of  strangers  connect  themselves  with  us,  because  the 
Methodist  ways  which  Mr.  Otterbein  pursues  with  his  people  are  not 
yet  acceptable  to  many  German  Protestants.  Otherwise  we  are  at  peace 
with  each  other,  inasmuch  as  we  have  no  labors  to  perform  in  common. 
At  the  next  meeting  of  ccetus  I  may  be  compelled  to  oppose  Mr.  Otterbein, 
on  account  of  a  pieacher  named  Geeting,  from  the  neghborhood  of  Hagers- 
town,  who  is  to  be  ordained  by  the  ccetus.  I  have  heard  the  man  preach 
and  I  know  what  u  Janatic  he  is." 


CHAPTER  X. 


CO-LABORERS    IX    GENERAL 


Hendel  —  Wagner —  Hautz  —  Henop—  Weimer  —  Schwope  — 
A  Pietistic  Tendency —  Minutes  of  Important  Meetings  —  A 
License  —  Remarks  —  The  Methodists  —  Asbury  and  Otter- 
bein — Asbury's  Consecration  as  Superintendent— Incidents. 

HERE  were  a  few  ministers  belonging  to 

the  ccetus  of  the  Reformed  Church  whose 

friendly  co-operation  with  Mr.  Otterbeiu 

was  so  marked  as  to  entitle  them  to  a  brief 

notice  here. 

The  first  of  those  to  be  named  was  Rev.  Wm. 
Hendel,  the  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Otterbein.  He 
came  to  this  country  from  the  Palatinate  in  Ger- 
many in  1764,  being  then  perhaps  forty  years  of 
age,  and  having  had  experience  in  the  ministry 
before  his  coming.  He  was  a  man  of  thorough 
scholarship  and  rare  pulpit  talents.  His  piety 
was  deep  and  unfeigned.  He  was  an  excellent 
pastor,  and  early  introduced  prayer-meetings.  He 
is  spoken  of  by  Mr.  Stahlschmidt  as  one  of  the 
best  preachers  with  whom  he  became  acquainted 
in  America,  and  as  a  man  "  without  any  sec- 
tarian or  party  spirit."  He  served  congrega- 
188 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  189 

tions  at  Lancaster,  Tulpehocken,  and  Philadel- 
phia. At  Tulpehocken  he  served  as  many  as  nine 
congregations  at  one  time.  He  gave  great  atten- 
tion to  destitute  congregations  beyond  his  regular 
charge.  lie  died  at  Philadelphia  in  1798  a  mar- 
tyr to  his  devotion  to  the  multitudes  that  that 
year  fell  victims  to  the  yellow  fever.  His  zealous 
labors  did  not  fail  to  rouse  opposition.  As  re- 
marked bv  Dr.  Harbauffh,  "'It  would  be  strange 

1/  CD       '  O 

if  so  good  a  man  had  not  awakened  some  worldly 
spirits  against  him."  In  various  forms  we  find 
the  truest  sympathy  and  most  earnest  co-opera- 
tion between  Mr.  Ilendel  and  Mr.  Otterbein. 

Rev.  Daniel  Wagner  was  another  of  the  intimate 
and  constant  friends  of  Mr.  Otterbein.  Mr.  Otter- 
bein was  intimately  associated  with  the  Wag- 
ner family  in  Europe,  and  they  are  supposed 
to  have  come  to  this  country  at  the  same  time 
with  him.  lie  doubtless  often  visited  the  family 
during  his  Tnlpehocken  ministry,  as  the  home  of 
the  family  was  not  far  from  his  place  of  labor.  Mr. 
Wagner  entered  the  ministry  in  1771,  having  pre- 
viously received  a  liberal  preparation.  He  studied 
theology  under  Dr.  Hendel.  Dr.  Mayer  said  of 
him,  "  He  did  not  concern  himself  in  idle  ques- 
tions and  disputes,  or  in  sectarian  zeal  for  words 
and  opinions."  His  piety  was  "lively,  earnest, 
and  full  of  feeling — the  religion  of  the  living  and 


190  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

not  of  the  dead."  When  Mr.  Otterbein  left  York, 
he  recommended  Mr.  Wagner  as  his  successor. 
Mr.  Wagner  afterward  served  at  Tulpehocken, 
then  a  second  period  at  York,  and  after  that  at 
Frederick,  the  place  of  his  last  labors.  He  died  at 
York  in  1810.  Mr.  Otterbein  kept  up  a  regular 
correspondence  with  him,  aud  the  letters  written 
by  Mr.  Otterbein  were  preserved  until  within  a 
comparatively  recent  time.  It  is  related  that  Mr. 
Wagner  kept  a  written  sermon  of  Mr.  Otterbein's 
for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  proficiency  of  his 
pupils  in  reading.  Mr.  Otterbein's  hand-writing, 
while  regular  and  quite  artistic  to  the  eye,  was 
difficult  to  read.  This  sermon,  too,  has  only  lately 
disappeared.  If  we  had  the  letters  in  which  Mr. 
Otterbein  unfolded  his  inmost  thoughts  to  the 
warm  and  true-hearted  WTagner,  we  would  have 
a  treasure  indeed. 

Rev.  Anthony  Hautz,  a  pupil  of  Dr.  Hendel, 
showed  great  friendship,  whenever  occasions  of- 
fered, to  Mr.  Otterbein  and  his  fellow-laborers. 
He  began  his  ministry  in  1787.  He  preached  in 
Harrisburg,  and  at  Carlisle,  and  after  1803  re- 
moved to  the  state  of  Newr  York.  It  was  under 
his  preaching  that  Jacob  Albright  was  awakened. 
Mr.  Albright  was  converted,  however,  sometime 
afterward,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  A.  Riegel,  whc 
was  associated  with  the  United  Brethren. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  191 

Rev.  Frederick  Henop,  another  fellow-laborer 
of  Mr.  Otterbein,  entered  upon  his  ministry  about 
1764.  About  1770  he  accepted  a  call  to  Freder- 
ick. While  at  this  place  he  made  many  mission- 
ary journeys  across  the  Potomac  into  Virginia. 
He  died  in  1784.  He  was  a  man  that  felt  the 
necessities  of  the  times,  and  sought  by  every 
available  means  to  carry  the  gospel  to  his  neg- 
lected countrymen. 

Rev.  Jacob  Weimer  deserves  a  notice  in  this 
connection.  In  1770  he  began  in  Maryland  his 
ministerial  labors,  Hagerstown  being  his  place  of 
residence.  In  much  the  same  manner  as  did  Mr. 
Henop,  he  served  the  destitute  congregations  in 
Virginia.  "  Mr.  Weimer  was  a  good  man,  an  ex- 
cellent preacher,  plain  and  practical,  beloved  by 
every  person,  both  in  and  out  of  his  congrega- 
tion." 

Of  Mr.  Schwope  it  is  unnecessary  to  speak  here 
at  length.  His  spirit  was  doubtless  molded 
largely  by  Mr.  Otterbein,  and  perhaps,  too,  some- 
what by  Mr.  Strawbridge,  the  first  Methodist 
preacher  in  America.  After  his  retirement  from 
Baltimore  he  appears  again  to  have  resided  at 
Pipe  Creek.  He  was  an  earnest  evangelical 
preacher  of  "  extraordinary  talents,"  and  is  often 
mentioned  by  Mr.  Asbury.  The  latter  records 
his    death   as    having   occurred  in  Kentucky   in 


192  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

the  winter  of  1809-10,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
eighty.  It  is  an  error  to  suppose  that  Mr.  Otter- 
bein  was  ever,  in  a  special  sense,  under  the  influ- 
ence of  Mr.  Schwope.  The  likeness  in  spirit  and 
purpose  of  the  latter  to  the  former  was  the  basis 
and  limit  of  their  co-operation. 

A  subject  will  now  be  considered  that  must 
have  great  interest  to  every  one  that  would  un- 
derstand the  different  features  of  the  movement 
with  which  Mr.  Otterbein  was  identified.  Mr. 
Otterbein  began  to  introduce  into  the  Reformed 
Church,  with  considerable  success,  some  of  the 
peculiar  elements  of  Pietism.  This  is  the  subject 
to  be  considered.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Dr. 
Schramm,  Mr.  Otterbein's  instructor,  was  in  deep 
sympathy  with  the  spirit  and  methods  of  Spener, 
the  founder  of  Pietism.  Pietism  was  so  named 
from  the  associations  that  were  formed  for  the 
promotion  of  piety  {collegia  jpictatis).  The  aim  was 
not  to  found  a  new  church,  but  to  form  little  asso- 
ciations within  the  different  churches  (ecclesiolce 
in  ecclesia)  to  introduce  a  leaven  that  would  leaven 
the  whole  lump.  The  dead  formalism  of  the 
times  constituted  the  apology  for  the  extraordi- 
nary measures  introduced,  and  enlightened  Chris- 
tians generally,  despite  the  weaknesses  of  Pietism, 
have  been  thankful  that  in  the  exigency  of  the 
church  God   raised  up  a  Spener.      George  God= 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  193 

frey   and   Philip    William  Otterbein    were    in    a 
marked  degree  inclined  to  Pietism. 

Pietism  arose  in  the  first  place  to  supply  life  in 
the  place  of  a  dead  orthodoxy,  but  in  the  time  of 
the  Otterbeins,  notwithstanding  the  defection  in 
its  ranks,  it  was  the  wing  of  protection  against 
the  blasting  and  desolating  effects  of  rationalism- 
Mr.  Otterbein   in   this    country   was   profoundly 
sensible  of  the  wave  that  was  extending  itself  so 
ruinously  over  all  Germany.     Much  in  his  career 
is  explicable  only  on  the  ground  of  his  acquaint- 
ance, through  his  intimate  connections  with  Ger- 
many, with  the  haughty,  self-sufficient  rationalism 
of  Europe.     There,  culture,  philosophy,  and  even 
ecclesiastical  systems  were  in  the  first  place  con- 
quered, and  then  made  the  instruments  and  abet- 
tors of  this  gigantic  and  destructive  movement.  It 
is  no  wonder  that  pious  minds  in  Europe  sought 
safety  in  a  separation  from  the  ruling  elements  of 
life,  and   sought   to   promote   inward   piety  and 
practical  Christianity  in  the  restricted  fellowship 
of  kindred  souls.      In  America,  aside   from  the 
reaction   against  formalism,  and  the  fear  of  the 
desolations  of  rationalism,  there  was  an  effort  to 
overcome  the  aggravated  evils  resulting  from  a 
promiscuous  church-membership  in  the  wantoa, 
mixed  society  produced  by  the  commingling  of  the 
most  diverse,  often  the  most  wretched  elements  of 


194  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

the  Old  World.  All  understood  themselves  to  be 
church-members,  and  all  that  chose  had  a  part  in 
making  up  and  controlling  the  church.  ~No  won- 
der that  such  men  as  Otterbein  and  Hendel  de- 
sired a  more  suitable  and  promising  beginning 
for  the  work  that  was  to  be  done  among  the  Ger- 
mans of  America.  John  Wesley,  who  drew 
largely  from  the  Pietists,  notwithstanding  the 
members  of  his  societies  were  a  people  sifted  from 
the  promiscuous  membership  of  the  Anglican 
Church,  yet  had  his  "  bands  "  and  "  select  socie- 
ties" through  which  he  hoped  to  cause  a  purer 
light  and  a  more  elevating  influence  to  radiate. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  minutes  of  several  meet- 
ings participated  in  by  ministers  that  had  united 
together  to  form  these  nuclei  in  their  own  con- 
gregations, as  well  as  elsewhere.  The  first  formal 
meeting  was  after  Mr.  Otterbein's  going  to  Balti- 
more. The  minutes  that  follow  were  lately  dis- 
covered at  Pipe  Creek,  Maryland,  and  are  in  the 
hand-writing  of  Benedict  Schwope.*  The  min- 
utes are  of  sufficient  interest  to  be  given  entire. 
In  regard  to  many  things,  they  explain  them- 
selves. 

May  29,  1774. 

In  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

At  our  meeting  at  Pipe  Creek  the  following  action 

*  Knowledge  of  the  existence  of  these  minutes  was  first  commu»icated 
to  the  author  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Dubbs,  by  whom  they  were  afterward  translated 
and  published,. fn  connection  with  an  article,  in  tho  Reformed  Quarterly. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  195 

was  taken  respecting  our  several  congregations  :  Con- 
cerning the  congregation  at  Baltimore  it  was  resolved 
that,  besides  the  public  meeting  on  Sunday,  the 
male  members  shall  meet  twice  a  week  in  two 
classes;  to-wit,  the  class  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
city  on  Tuesday  evening;  and  of  this  class  Leonard 
Herbach  is  appointed  leader  (Aufseher).  The  other 
class,  of  which  Henry  Weidner  is  leader,  meets  on 
Friday  evening.  The  female  members  are  to  meet 
separately,  every  Tuesday  afternoon. 

2.  The  members  at  Pipe  Creek  (die  Peiff-Kr icier) 
have  also  formed  themselves  into  two  classes. 
David  Schreiber  and  Michael  Huebener  are  ap- 
pointed leaders  of  the  first,  and  Uhly  Aeckler  and 
Hans  Fischer  of  the  second  class.  These  are  to 
meet  every  Sunday;  and  no  one  is  to  withdraw 
without  good  reason. 

3.  The  members  at  Sam's  Creek  (die  Sam's 
Kricher)  are  to  constitute  a  single  class.  Adam  Leh- 
man and  Martin  Cassel  are  appointed  leaders.  They 
are  also  to  hold  their  meetings  on  Sunday. 

4.  The  members  at  Fredericktown  (die  Fried- 
richstowner)  have  organized  but  one  class.  They  are 
to  meet  on  Sunday  evening,  and  propose  to  elect  a 
leader  for  themselves. 

5.  The  members  at  Antietam  (die  Antitemer) 
are  to  meet  every  Sunday,  in  two  classes.  George 
Adam  Gueding  and  Samuel  Becker  are  appointed 
leaders.  They  are  to  meet  alternately  at  the  church 
and  at  Conrad  Schnaebeli's,  or  wherever  el?e  the 
leaders  may  direct. 


196  LITE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

The  ground  and  object  of  these  meetings  is  to  be, 
that  those  thus  united  may  encourage  one  another, 
pray  and  sing  in  unison,  and  watch  over  one  another's 
conduct.  At  these  meetings  they  are  to  be  especially 
careful  to  see  to  it  that  family  worship  is  regularly 
maintained.  All  those  who  are  thus  united  are  to 
take  heed  that  no  disturbances  occur  among  them, 
and  that  the  affairs  of  the  congregations  be  con- 
ducted and  managed  in  an  orderly  manner. 

Resolved  to   meet   again  on  the  first  Sunday  in 

October  at  D.  Schreiber's.     Done  on  the  date  above 

mentioned. 

W.  Otterbein. 

B.  Swope. 

October  2,  1774 
In  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
At  our  meeting  at  David  Schreiber's,  at  Pipe  Creek, 
the  following  action  was  taken  concerning  our  sev- 
eral congregations : 

1.  In  the  previously -mentioned  congregations 
everything  remains  as  at  first  arranged,  without 
any  change. 

2.  Several  friends  in  Canawaken  [Conewago] 
have  agreed  to  hold  meetings;  but  no  leader  has 
yet  been  appointed.  They  are  to  meet  every  Sun- 
day ;  and  it  is  determined  that  they  shall  be  visited 
from  time  to  time  by  one  of  the  undersigned  min- 
isters. 

3.  The  friends  in  Sharpsburg  have  formed  a 
union  (haben   sich   vereinigt).       Mr.    Stein  (?),  the 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  197 

school-master,  is  appointed  their  leader.  Further 
arrangements  are  to  be  made  at  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity by  Benedict  Swope  and  Mr.  Weimer. 

4.  The  friends  in  Funkstown  and  Hagerstown 
are  to  be  visited  and  organized  (like  the  above  con- 
gregations) by  the  aforesaid  ministers. 

5.  Resolved  to  meet  next  year  in  Frederick,  on 
the  first  Sunday  after  Pentecost. 

Done  on  the  date  aforesaid. 

W.  Otterbein. 
W.  Hendel. 
Jacob  Weimer. 
Friederich  Lud.  Henop. 
Daniel  Wagner. 
Benedict  Swope. 

Fredericktown,  June  12,  1775. 

In  the  name  of  our  blessed  Lord.     Amen. 

We,  William  Otterbein,  William  Hendel,  Fred- 
erick  Henop,  Jacob  Weimer,  Daniel  Wagner,  and 
Benedict  Swope,  have  met  in  this  town,  according  to 
the  resolution  passed  at  our  meeting  held  last  Octo- 
ber at  Pipe  Creek,  and  after  due  examination  the 
following  was  found  to  be  the  condition  of  the  con- 
gregations or  classes : 

1.  The  friends  in  this  town  are  at  peace,  and  con- 
tinue their  private  meetings  twice  a  week,  besides 
regularly  attending  the  service  in  the  church. 

2.  The  friends  at  Pipe  Creek  are  equally  pros- 
perous, appear  serious  in  their  conduct,  and,  it  is 
hoped,  derive  a  blessing  from  their  meetings. 


198  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEM. 

3.  Those  at  Sam's  Creek  are  at  peace  and  appear 
serious. 

4.  Those  at  Antietam  are  again  at  peace,  after  a 
slight  disturbance,  and  meet  on  Sundays. 

5.  Those  at  Baltimore  are  at  peace ;  but  it  is  to 
be  feared  and  guarded  against,  that  with  their  good 
order  and  regular  meetings  they  do  not  take  the 
appearance  for  the  reality. 

6.  Those  at  Sharpsburg  remain  in  their  previous 
condition.  They  hold  meetings.  There  is  no  reason 
to  imagine  evil,  but  it  might  be  wished  that  their 
condition  were  more  prosperous. 

7.  Those  at  Funkstown  number  only  a  few  fam- 
ilies, and  as  they  live  close  together  they  meet  ac- 
cording to  their  convenience.  At  this  place  progress 
is  very  desirable. 

9.  The  friends  at  Canawaken  (who  were  men- 
tioned at  our  last  meeting  at  Pipe  Creek)  continue 
to  meet  on  Sunday,  besides  going  regularly  to 
church,  as  is  our  universal  order.  We  have  reason 
to  hope  for  good  results. 

10.  Certain  friends  in  Hagerstown  were  interested, 
but  none  of  them  have  come  to  our  present  meeting. 
We  hope  the  Lord  will  kindle  among  them  a  flame 
of  love  and  holy  zeal. 

11.  Resolved,  that  our  next  meeting  be  held  at 
Baltimore,  on  Sunday,  October  15th. 

Finally,  we  observe  that  since  our  first  meet- 
ing, which  is  now  more  than  a  year  ago,  no  dis- 
turbance  has   arisen  'in   any  one  of   the   aforesaid 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  199 

classes  and  congregations — except  a  little  trouble  at 
Antietam,  which  has  been  covered  up  with  the 
mantle  of  charity.  In  this  may  be  seen  the  fruits 
of  good  discipline,  in  that  at  least  three  hundred 
souls  have  remained  so  long  at  peace,  and  we  hope 
in  the  blessing  of  the  Lord ;  and  may  doubtless  be 
preserved  in  this  condition.  We  hope  and  desire 
that  the  Lord,  the  merciful,  would  daily  add  to 
their  numbers. 

Written  and  done  on  the  date  aforesaid,  by  order 
of  the  United  Ministers,  by 

Benedict  Swope,  Secretary. 

Baltimore  Town,  October  15,  1775. 

In  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

We,  William  Otterbein,  William  Hendel,  Fred- 
erick Lud.  Henop,  Daniel  Wagner,  and  Benedict 
Schwob  have  met  again,  in  this  town,  in  accordance 
with  the  resolution  adopted  at  our  last  meeting,  in 
Fredericktown,  on  the  12th  of  June  last. 

1.  The  friends  in  this  town  are  at  peace.  They 
observe  the  former  regulations,  and  there  is  no 
change. 

2.  The  friends  in  Frederick  continue  in  their 
former  state  of  prosperity ;  so  also  the  class  at  P. 
Kemp's.     Both  have  increased  in  numbers. 

3.  The  friends  at  Sam's  Creek  continue  at  peace 
as  previously.  Friend  Conrad  Dotterer  has  been 
appointed  leader  instead  of  Martin  Cassel,  who  lives 
too  far  away. 


200  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

4.  The  friends  at  Antietam  are  at  peace,  and 
hold  meetings  according  to  our  rules. 

5.  Those  at  Sharpsburg  are  at  peace,  and  con- 
duct  themselves  in  accordance  with  the  general  rules 
of  their  meetings.     It  is  well.     Hopes  of  increase. 

6.  Those  at  Funkstown  are  at  peace,  and  meet 
weekly. 

7.  Those  at  Hagerstown  are  at  peace,  and  meet 
every  Sunday. 

8.  The  friends  at  Canawaken  meet  every  Sun- 
day, and  are  at  peace. 

9.  The  friends  at  Great  Pipe  Creek  are  thus  far  at 
peace  (some  troubles  in  the  Stein  family  excepted). 

10.  The  friends  at  Little  Pipe  Creek  are  in  per- 
fect peace,  and  we  trust  enjoy  a  blessing.  Both 
classes  at  the  Pipe  Creeks  meet  every  Sunday,  and 
still  have  their  first  leaders. 

11.  Several  friends  in  Germantown  [Manchester, 
Maryland]  have  made  application,  and  are  to  be 
served. 

12.  Resolved,  that  our  next  meeting  be  held  in 
Hagerstown  on  the  first  Sunday  after  Pentecost. 

Benedict  Schwob,  Scriba. 

June  2,  1776,  John  Ranger's. 

In  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen. 

We,  William  Otterbein,  William  Hendel,  Daniel 
Wagner,  Jacob  Weimer,  and  Benedict  Schwob  have 
held  another  meeting,  according  to  the  resolution 
adopted  at  our  last  meeting,  held  at  Baltimore,  on 
the  15th  of  October  last. 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  201 

1.  The  friends  in  Baltimore  are  prosperous,  and 
-meet  as  formerly.  The  congregation  has,  however, 
been  considerably  weakened  by  disturbances  caused 
by  the  war. 

2.  The  friends  in  Fredericktown  are  prosperous 
and  at  peace,  and  have  increased  in  numbers.  The 
class  at  P.  Kemp's  is  not  so  prosperous.  Steiner  and 
Studel  leaders. 

3.  The  friends  at  Sam's  Creek  are  prosperous. 

4.  The  friends  at  the  Antietam  continue  at  peace, 
and  are  prosperous. 

5.  The  friends  in  Sharpsburg  were  for  some  time 
careless,  but  have  now  become  more  active. 

6.  Those  at  Funkstown  and  Hagerstown  have 
united.     George  Arnold,  leader. 

7.  Those  at  Canawaken  are  prosperous  and  serious, 

8.  Those  at  Great  Pipe  Creek  are  prosperous  and 
at  peace.     Leaders,  Jost  Maurer  and  Jacob  Cassel. 

9.  Those  at  Little  Pipe  Creek  are  prosperous. 

10.  Beaver  Dam.  The  friends  are  united  and 
meet  every  Sunday. 

11.  At  Peter  Reitenauer's  the  friends  meet  every 
Sunday.     Peter  Reitenauer,  leader. 

12.  Germantown  is  to  be  further  supplied. 

13.  On  Sunday,  October  20th,  we  will  meet  again 
in  Canawaken,  at  Jacob  Wilt's. 

Benedict  Schwob,  Scriba. 

Dr.  Hendel  at  this  time  was  laboring  at  Tulpe- 
hocken,  a  place   rather  distantly  removed   from 


202  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

the  general  field  indicated  in  the  minutes.  Mr. 
Henop  was  at  Frederick,  Mr.  Weimer  at  Hagers- 
town,  and  Mr.  Wagner  at  York.  In  connection 
with  the  conferences  of  the  ministers,  important 
Sabbath-meetings  were  doubtless  held,  as  two  of 
the  dates  above  given  fall  upon  the  Sabbath,  one 
on  Monday,  and  two  on  Friday. 

At  the  meeting,  June  2d,  1776,  the  last  for 
which  we  have  minutes,  the  following  license  was 
granted : 

In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.     Amen. 

We,  the  undersigned  ministers  of  the  Reformed 
Church,  hereby  announce  and  make  known  to  whom 
it  may  concern,  that  Henry  Weidner  is  a  member 
of  the  Reformed  Church,  and  inasmuch  as  we  be- 
lieve that  the  Lord  has  called  him  into  his  vineyard, 
we  allow  him  to  preach  the  gospel,  and  hope  that 
lovers  of  the  truth  will  receive  him  in  love ;  and  we 
invoke  upon  him  the  grace  and  blessing  of  God. 

Given  in  our  ministerial  meeting,  at  John  Ran- 
ger's, June  4th,  1776. 

William  Otterbein. 

William  Hendel. 
Jacob  Weimer. 
Benedict  Swope. 

The  granting  of  this  license  seems  to  have  been 
the  most  extreme,  or  the  most  advanced  step  of 
the  "  united  ministers."  The  fact  that  Mr.  Henop 
was  not  present  at   the   meeting,  and  that  Mr 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBELN.  203 

Wagner,  who  was  present,  did  not  sign  the  license 
may  indicate  that  the  opposition  from  the  side  of 
the  ccetns  was  manifesting  itself  so  decidedly  that 
further  co-operation  with  the  movement  became 
hazardous.  The  ccetus  at  no  time  could  have 
looked  with  favor  upon  it,  and  likely  at  first  its 
notice  was  not  so  much  attracted.  Hendel  and 
Wagner,  too,  while  personally  continuing  on  the 
best  terms  with  Mr.  Otterbein,  came  to  regard 
with  apprehension  or  disfavor  the  more  and  more 
decided  measures  that  he  deemed  it  necessary  to 
employ. 

All  the  ministers  were  members  of  the  Re- 
formed coetus.  Mr.  Otterbein  had  before  this 
been  associated  with  others  than  Reformed,  but 
his  removal  to  Baltimore,  and  the  progress  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  temporarily  separated  him 
from  his  former  associates.  Besides,  a  work  in 
the  Reformed  Church  would  have  been  impeded, 
if  not  made  impossible,  by  connections  beyond 
the  church.  Mr.  Otterbein  and  his  associates 
certainly  expected  to  work  a  transformation 
throughout  the  extent  of  the  Reformed  Church. 
In  1777  we  find  awakened  persons  of  all  classes 
received  into  Mr.  Otterbein's  "  societies,''  and 
ether  things  that  indicate  that  the  movement  in 
the  Reformed  Church  had  reached  its  limit.  It  is 
probable  that  the  meeting  appointed  for  October, 
1776,  was  not  held,  or  if  so,  that  it  was  the  last. 


204  LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN. 

Mr.  Otterbein  and  Mr.  Schwope  were  the  only 
ones  of  the  "  united  ministers  "  that,  on  the  dis- 
continuance of  the  meetings,  sought,  on  a  wider 
scale,  to  carry  out  their  purpose.  Those  that 
afterward  confined  their  labors  to  the  regular 
channel,  accomplished  in  the  Reformed  Church, 
it  must  be  remarked,  beneficent  results.  The 
"laymen,"  however,  did  not  so  generally  with- 
draw from  the  work  on  which  they  had  entered. 
Henry  Weidner,  already  noticed,  Adam  Lehman, 
Leonard  Herbach  (Harbaugh),  Peter  Kemp,  and 
George  A.  Geeting  *  were  afterward  active  and 
successful  preachers  among  the  United  Brethren. 
In  subsequent  times,  in  the  country  in  Maryland, 
Virginia,  and  Pennsylvania,  in  which  the  "  united 
ministers"  labored,  Mr.  Otterbein  found  a  welcome 
field.  The  Maryland  and  Virginia  Germans  of 
the  Reformed  faith  were  especially  destitute,  as 
the  aid  received  from  Holland,  by  the  plan  oe 
which  it  was  contributed,  was  mostly  to  be  ex- 
pended in  Pennsylvania. 

This  account  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  occupying  a 
leading  place  among  the  "united  ministers"  ex- 
plains  much,  but  not  everything,  in  his  course. 
It  does  not  explain  the  anterior  union  at  Isaac 
Long's.     It  does  not  indicate  the  relations  and 

*  Some  of  these  had  begun  to  preach  before  1774.  George  A.  Geeting, 
lor  example,  began  to  preach  in.  1772. 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  20.R 

limits  of  his  subsequent  course.  It  does  demoi- 
strate,  however,  the  possibility  of  his  sustaining 
a  double  relation,  which  double  relation,  in  turn, 
made  it  possible,  under  the  force  of  circumstances, 
for  the  line  of  attachments  that  at  first  was  the 
more  frail,  practically  to  supplant,  in  the  end,  the 
line  that,  at  the  first,  was  the  stronger. 

Between  Mr.  Otterbein  and  the  early  Method- 
ists with  whom  he  came  in  contact  the  relations 
were  the  most  appreciative  and  cordial.  It  is  to 
be  remarked,  however,  that  when  he  began  to 
preach  an  evangelical  experience,  and  even  when 
he  began  to  hold  prayer-meetings  at  Tulpehocken, 
in  1758  and  1759,  there  were  no  Methodist  preach- 
ers in  America.  Mr.  Wesley,  before  his  conver- 
sion, had  spent  some  time  in  Georgia,  and  Mr. 
Whitefield  had  traversed  the  country,  mostly 
through  the  South,  preaching  with  unrivaled  elo- 
quence the  stirring  truths  of  the  gospel.  He, 
however,  left  no  organization  and  appointed  no 
preachers.  Some  persons  converted  under  his 
labors,  though,  were  unable  to  keep  to  themselves 
their  glowing  experiences,  and  involuntarily  be- 
came preachers.  We  read  of  ministers  being 
sought,  in  later  times,  to  fill  the  places  of  these 
worn-out  Whitefield  or  "  new  light "  preachers. 
Robert  Strawbridge,  a  Methodist  local  preacher, 
same  to  this  country  and  settled  at  Sam's  Creek. 


206  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

Maryland,  between  1760  and  1765.  Philip  Em- 
bury began  to  preach  in  New  York  in  1766,  and 
in  the  same  year  formed  the  first  Methodist  class 
in  America.  Messrs.  Boardman  and  Pillmore, 
the  first  missionaries  sent  out  by  Mr.  Wesley,  ar- 
rived in  New  York  in  1769.  In  1771  Mr.  Francis 
Asbury  and  Mr.  Richard  Wright  arrived. 

Between  Mr.  Asbury  and  Mr.  Otterbein  there 
sprung  up  an  almost  romantic  friendship.  In 
1772  Mr.  Schwope  and  Mr.  Asbury  first  met,  and 
through  the  former  Mr.  Asbury  was  made  ac- 
quainted with  the  character  and  work  of  Mr. 
Otterbein.  In  February,  1774,  Mr.  Asbury,  as 
already  related,  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Otterbein 
to  influence  him  to  settle  in  Baltimore.*  On  May 
4th,  1774,  the  very  day  on  which  Mr.  Otterbein 
entered  upon  his  work  in  Baltimore,  Mr.  Otter- 
bein and  Mr.  Asbury  first  met.  The  latter  made 
the  following  entry  in  his  journal:  "  Had  a 
friendly  intercourse  with  Mr.  0.  and  Mr.  S.,  the 
German  ministers,  respecting  the  plan  of  church- 
discipline  on  which  they  intend  to  proceed.  They 
agreed  to  imitate  our  methods  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible." f 

•Some  respectable  writers  have  said  that  Mr.  Asbury  obtained  the  pos- 
tion  for  him.     This  is  strangely  reversing  matters. 

fThe  agreement  to  imitate  mr.st  be  understood  of  the  most  general 
features  only.  The  Methodists  did  not  th^n  form  a  church,  either  in  Eu- 
rope or  America.    Mr.  Otterbein  resisted  the  adoption  of  the  articles  and 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  207 

Mr.  Otterbein   was  at  this  time  in  his  forty- 
eighth  year,  and  Mr.  Asbury  was  in  his  twenty- 
ninth   year.      Mr.   Asbury   had  been  preaching, 
though,  since  his  sixteenth  year.     Mr.  Otterbein 
was   large    and   impressive    in   appearance;    Mr 
Asbury  was  medium  in  height,  compactly  built, 
and,  in  his  appearance,  boyish.    At  this  time  Mr. 
Otterbein  knew  little  English,  and  Mr.  Asbury, 
no  German.    Great  as  were  the  contrasts  between 
these  men,  the  things  in  which  they  were  alike, 
though    hidden    more    or   less    from    view,    were 
greater  and  more  decidedly  marked.     They  had 
yielded  to  the  same  truth ;  they  had  experienced 
the   same  things;    they  preached  the  same  doc- 
trines;   they  were   each   intrusted  with   a    great 
mission.     Mr.  Otterbein  was  the  greater  in  spir- 
itual resource,  and  was  possessed  of  larger  preach- 
ing-talent;   Mr.    Asbury   was   greater   in    active 
power,  and   had   before  him  a  clearer  aim  and 
a  more  inviting  field.     Each,  however,  in  the  re- 
spects in  which  he  was  inferior  to  the  other  still 
towered   far    above  the  forms  of  common  men. 
While  Mr.  Asbury  was  nominally  a  member  of 
the  English  Episcopal  Church,  the  separation  was 
already  so  great,  on  the  part  of  the  Methodists 

discipline  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  after  that  church  was  organ- 
ized.  A  subsequent  remark  of  Mr.  Asbury  was  that  Mr.  Otterbein  "could 
only  approve;"  that  is,  he  approved  of  the  wisdom  of  the  articles  and 
rales  trrenrs^lve-3,  but  could  not  take  it  upon  himself  to  introduce  tnem. 


208  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

in  general,  that  he  experienced  practically  little 
embarrassment  from  this  formal  connection.  In 
the  holding  of  property  and  the  management  oi 
their  affairs,  the  Methodists  were  already  a  dis- 
tinct people.  Yet  they  positively  refused  to 
assume  the  administration  of  the  ordinances.  Mr. 
Asbury  himself  was  still  a  layman.  Mr.  Otter- 
bein  had  regular  ministerial  standing,  and  thus 
was  under  no  embarrassment  as  regards  the  ordi- 
nances; yet  his  connection  with  th  coetus  long 
restrained  him  from  a  fully  decided  course. 

April  28th  and  29th,  1775,  Mr.  Asbury  made 
the  following  entry  in  his  journal:  "Mr.  Otter- 
bein,  the  Dutch  minister,  accompanied  me  to  I. 
CVs,  where  we  had  a  blessed  and  refreshing  sea- 
son. *  *  *  J  dined  with  Mr.  0.,  the  minister 
mentioned  above,  and  spent  the  afternoon  with 
him  and  Mr.  S.  [Schwope].  *  *  *  They  both 
appear  to  be  sincerely  religious,  and  intend  to 
make  proposals  to  the  German  synod  this  year  to 
lay  a  plan  for  the  reformation  of  the  Dutch  con- 
gregations." 

June  18th,  1776,  he  wrote,  "Returned  on 
Wednesday  to  Baltimore,  and  spent  some  time 
with  Mr.  0.  There  are  very  few  with  whom  I 
can  find  so  much  unity  and  freedom  in  conversa- 
tion as  with  him." 

January  27th,  1777,  he  wrote,  "I  have  had  an 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  209 

agreeable  conversation  with  my  friend  Mr.  Otter- 
bein." 

Their  friendship  being  such,  it  is  not  strange 
that  Mr.  Asbury  desired  Mr.  Otterbein  to  take  a 
part  in  his  consecration  as  a  superintendent  of 
the  Methodists  in  America.  The  first  Methodist 
general  conference,  as  it  may  be  called,  met  in 
Baltimore,  December  25th,  1784.  Mr.  Asbury 
was  ordained  deacon  on  the  first  day  of  the  con- 
ference, by  Dr.  Coke,  an  elder  ordained  in  the 
Church  of  England,  and  specially  consecrated  by 
Mr.  "Wesley  superintendent  of  the  work  in  Amer- 
ica. Dr.  Coke  was  assisted  by  Richard  Whatcoat 
and  Thomas  Vasey,  who  were  ordained  as  elders 
by  Mr.  Wesley.  On  the  day  following,  Dr.  Coke, 
assisted  by  the  same  elders,  ordained  Mr.  Asbury 
to  the  office  of  elder.  On  the  next  day,  Monday, 
Dr.  Coke,  assisted  by  the  same  elders,  and  also 
by  Mr.  Otterbein,*  consecrated  Mr.  Asbury  to  the 
office  of  superintendent. 

It  lingered  as  a  tradition  in  Baltimore  that  a 
committee  from  the  conference  waited  upon  Mr. 
Otterbein  to  secure  his  presence  and  assistance  at 

*One  of  the  elders  who  assisted  at  the  consecration  of  Mr.  Asbury  was 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Otterbein,  a  minister  of  the  German  Church.  Having  enjoyed 
an  intimate  acquaintance  with  this  pious  and  evangelical  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  having  full  fellowship  with  him  as  a  laborious  and  useful  serv- 
ant of  God,  Mr.  Asbury  requested  that  he  might  be  associated  with  Dr. 
Coke  and  the  other  elders  in  the  performance  of  this  solemn  ceremony.- 
Dr.  Bangs. 


210  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

the  consecration,  and  that  lie  said  to  the  commit 
tee,  "  I  must  first  consult  with  my  God."     WheK 
the    committee  called  the  next   morning  he   ex- 
pressed his  willingness  to  comply  with  the  wish 
of  Mr.  Asbury  and  of  the  conference. 

Mr.  Asbury  often  afterward  referred  to  the 
presence  of  Mr.  Otterbein  at  his  consecration;  and 
especially  was  this  the  case  when  the  character  of 
his  office  was  called  in  question. 

The  organization  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  was  a  great  boon  to  the  American  Meth- 
odists. The  power  that  this  organization  put 
into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Asbury,  and  the  sinews 
that  it  put  into  the  arm  of  the  Methodist  move- 
ment, introduced  a  new  era  in  the  religious  history 
of  the  New  World.  And  yet  those  seem  to  be 
right  that  assert  that  the  mode  of  organization, 
especially  as  it  stood  a  few  years  later,  transcended 
any  definite  thought  that  Mr.  Wesley  could  have 
had,  involving  at  once  more  of  distinct  churchly 
character  than  was  consistent  wuth  the  general 
direction  that  he  sought  to  preserve  to  himself. 
It  must  be  admitted,  however,  that  it  was  not 
inconsistent  with  Air.  Wesley's  temper  and  habit 
to  submit  great  contingencies  to  the  direction  of 
infinite  Wisdom;  and  further  that  d?^Tine  Provi- 
dence not  unfrequently  takes  things  out  of  the 
hands  of  the  greatest  providential  leaders. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  211 

The  friendship  formed  between  Mr.  Otterhein 
and  Mr.  Asbury  was  as  intimate  as  it  was  firm 

and  lasting.    -An  incident  or  two  will  illustrate. 

As  Mr.  Asbury  was  a  non-juror,  and  also  in 
consequence  of  sonic  expressions  of  Mr.  Wesley 
on  the  right  of  England  to  coerce  the  colonies, 
Mr.  Asbury,  as  well  as  other  Methodist  ministers, 
was  regarded  with  suspicion  by  the  American 
authorities.  lie  was  once,  near  Baltimore,  actu- 
ally arrested  and  lined.  In  this  state  of  things, 
it  is  said  that  he  was  at  one  time  sheltered  and 
cared  for  at  Mr.  Otterbein's  house. 

A  rather  ludicrous  story,  contrasting  rather 
strikingly  with  the  great  work  in  which  these 
champions  were"  engaged,  is  as  follows:  Mr. 
Asbury,  as  an  exception  for  a  man  of  his  tempera- 
ment, had  written  some  verses,  which  some  of 
his  enthusiastic  friends  urged  him  to  publish.  He 
had  some  misgivings,  but  thought  be  could  trust 
the  judgment  and  candor  of  Mr.  Otterbein.  Mr. 
Otterhein  examined  the  verses  carefully,  and 
when  Mr.  Asbury  asked  him  for  his  opinion,  he 
replied:  "  Bruder  Asbury,  I  don't  tink  you  was 
porn  a  boet."  This  honest  expression  was  suf- 
ficient, and  saved  Mr.  Asbury  from  having  at- 
tached to  his  great  reputation  as  a  bishop  the 
unenviable  reputation  of  being  the  author  of  bad 
poetry. 


212  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

The  lapse  of  forty  years  and  the  marvelous  and 
crowding  changes  that  took  place  during  that 
time,  had  no  power  to  break  or  weaken  the 
friendship  of  Otterbein  and  Asbury,  entered  upon 
thus  auspiciously.  In  these  pages  we  shall  yet 
frequently  see,  side  by  side,  the  laborious  Asbury 
and  the  venerable  Otterbein. 


CHAPTER  XL 

PROGRESS    OF    THE    RELIGIOUS    MOVEMENT. 

Antecedent  Stages  — Newcomer— His  Preparation  for  the 
Work—  His  Account  of  his  Connection  with  the  Movement 
—  Various  Notes  of  Progress  — Conference  of  1789— Mem- 
bers of  the  Conference  —  Objects  Sought  —  Confession  of 
Faith  and  Rules— Conference  of  1791  —  New  Members— The 
Extent  and  Character  of  the  Work  — Mr.  Otterbein's  Pres- 
ence and  Assistance  — The  Antietam  Meetings  — Mr.  Otter- 
bein  Present  at  Meetings  of  the  Reformed  Church  — The 
Methodists  Welcomed  to  His  Church— Mr.  Otterbein  Wear- 
ing Out. 

|f  HE  joint  labors  of  Mr.  Otterbein  and  Mr. 
Boelim  belonging  to  the  earlier  period 
were,  in  consequence  of  the  place  and  cir- 
cumstances of  each,  but  occasional,  and  not 
Y  without  considerable  interruptions.  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein's  visit  to  Germany,  then  his  removal  from 
York  to  Baltimore,  and  then  the  breaking  out  of 
the  Revolutionary  War,  delayed  the  period  of  e 
closely  united  and  general  movement.  The  Men- 
nonite  and  Reformed  currents  were  to  pass 
through  a  process  of  separate  increase  and  defini- 
tion before  they  were  to  unite.  The  preparation 
of  the  people  came  later  than  the  preparation  of 

the  leaders,, 

213 


214  LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN. 

Some  laborers  that  were  raised  up  under  Mr. 
Gtterbeiu  or  Mr.  Boehm  have  already  been  re- 
ferred to;  but  the  first  preacher  that  was  raised 
up  under  the  influence  of  the  finally  united  ele- 
ments was  Christian  Newcomer,  who  began  his 
preaching  in  1777.  The  relations  of  Mr.  New- 
comer to  Mr.  Otterbein,  and  to  the  work  in  which 
the  latter  was  engaged,  make  it  proper  to  give 
here  a  somewhat  full  account  of  his  conversion 
and  entrance  upon  the  ministry.* 

Christian  Newcomer  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County,  Pennsylvania,  January  21st,  1749.  His 
grandfather,  who  came  to  this  country  from 
Switzerland  between  1719  and  1727,  was  Peter 
Newcomer.  His  father's  name  was  "Wolfgang 
Newcomer.  The  family  were  Mennonites.  Chris- 
tian Newcomer,  when  he  was  seventeen  years  of 
age,  experienced  in  his  soul  the  grace  of  God; 
but  being  without  enlightened  spiritual  advisers, 
he  lost  his  confidence  and  fell  into  partial  indiffer- 
ence and  worldliness.  In  1770  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Baer.  Not  long  afterward,  during 
a  severe  illness,  he  was  again  able  to  rejoice  in 
the  conscious  favor  of  God.     He  now  felt  con- 

*  The  main  source  is  Newcomer's  journal,  published  in  1834.  After  an 
introduction  relating  to  Newcomer's  whole  life,  the  journal  gives  an  account 
of  his  labors  from  1795  to  1830.  The  omissions  in  this  journal  are  so  many, 
even  in  regard  to  matter  of  the  highest  importance,  that  little,  on  any  given 
subject,  can  be  inferred  from  its  silence. 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  215 

strained  to  tell  every  one  of  the  blessing  that  he 
had  received.  Having  at  times,  however,  some 
misgivings,  he  determined  to  consult  a  Mennouite 
preacher  in  whom  he  confided,  and  walked  eight 
miles  for  this  purpose.  In  his  journal  he  says: 
"  I  related  to  him,  with  all  the  fervor  of  a  new 
convert,  what  the  work  of  grace  had  accom- 
plished in  my  soul.  My  heart  was  full  of  the 
love  of  God,  and  my  expressions  were,  perhaps, 
rather  fervent;  therefore,  he  could  not  under- 
stand me.  He  thought  me  hasty;  said  that  I  had 
formed  too  stout  an  opinion  in  this  matter,  and 
might  very  easily  be  in  error  in  believing  such 
professed  experience.  *  *  *  We  frequently 
differed  in  opinion  during  the  conversation  we 
had  on  the  subject.  On  my  side  I  maintained  the 
assertion  that  a  person  could,  and  surely  would, 
be  conscious  of  the  fact  when  God  for  Christ's 
sake  had  shown  mercy  to  him  a  poor  sinner,  in 
granting  unto  him  a  free  pardon  for  all  his  guilt; 
yea  more,  I  contended  that  the  promised  seed  of 
the  woman  should  also  bruise  the  serpent's  head 
within  us;  that  is  to  say,  subdue  the  inclination 
to  sin,  and  conquer  the  power  thereof  in  our 
souls.  This  my  friend  would  by  no  means  admit." 
Sometime  afterward  the  minister  fell  sick,  and 
Mr.  Newcomer  felt  constrained  to  pay  him  a  visit. 
When  they  were  left  alone  the  minister  turned  to 


216  LIFE  OF   OTTERBEIN. 

him  and  said,  "  Christian,  do  you  yet  recollect  the 
conversation  and  dispute  we  had  together  when 
you  were  here  the  last  time,  particularly  in  re- 
gard to  the  seed  of  the  woman  and  the  serpent? " 
Following  Mr.  Newcomer's  response,  the  minister 
continued,  "  Since  that  time  the  conviction  has 
darted  through  my  mind  like  a  flash  of  lightning, 
that  the  seed  of  the  woman  can  and  must  destroy 
the  head  of  the  serpent  within  me,  in  my  heart. 
Yes,  I  do  "believe  that  by  the  power  of  our  Savior 
Jesus  Christ  sin  can  and  must  be  destroyed  in 
my  heart,  if  I  shall  be  saved."  Mr.  Newcomer 
was  led  into  his  experience  of  divine  grace,  not 
by  the  counsels  and  assistance  of  men,  but  by  the 
agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  seemed  to  be 
working  independently  in  so  many  hearts,  and  in 
places  separated  by  wide  distances. 

His  home  was  about  nine  miles  from  Lancaster 
and  about  thirteen  miles  from  the  home  of  Martin 
Boehm.  In  his  immediate  neighborhood  there 
were  two  divisions  of  the  Mennonites,  and  preju- 
dice of  the  most  inveterate  kind  kept  the  different 
parties  to  themselves.  There  was  a  congregation, 
too,  of  those  that  were  associated  with  Martin 
Boehm;  yet  the  strong  prejudice  in  the  commu- 
nity kept  young  Newcomer  from  becoming  ac- 
quainted with  Mr.  Boehm,  or  with  the  spirit  of 
the  congregation.     Yet  his  was  one  of  the  hearts 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBELtf.  217 

in  which  God's  Spirit  was  laving  the  foundation 
for  a  great  and  wide-embracing  work. 

He,  however,  shrunk  from  the  duty  of  publicly 
declaring  to  others  what  God  had  done  for  him. 
Even  his  neighbors  urged  him  to  preach.  Ulti- 
mately, like  Jonah, — a  comparison  used  by  him- 
self,— he  sought  safety  in  flight.  Having  sold  his 
farm,  he  moved  to  Frederick  County, — after  1776 
within  the  limits  of  Washington  County, — Maiy- 
land.  This  removal  took  place  in  the  spring  of 
1775.  As  might  have  been  expected,  disobedi- 
ence to  duty  plunged  him  again  into  the  abyss  of 
doubt  and  wretchedness.  From  this  deplorable 
state  he  was  at  length,  while  engaged  in  prayer, 
rescued.  The  following  is  the  account  of  his 
experience:  "Henceforward  my  peace  flowed 
again  like  a  river.  With  confidence  I  could  now 
draw  to  a  throne  of  grace,  crying  Abba  Father. 
My  whole  soul  was  swallowed  up  in  love  to  God. 
*  *  *  Since  the  peace  of  God  wa:  restored 
again  to  my  soul,  the  former  call  to  preach  the 
gospel,  or  rather  not  to  preach  but  to  tell  to 
those,  about  me  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  me, 
returned  with  redoubled  power.  It  seemed  to  me 
to  burn  like  fire  in  my  bones  that  it  was  my 
duty,  and  that  the  Lord  required  at  my  hands,  to 
exhort  the  people  to  seek  the  Lord  their  God,  or 
be  lost  forever."     What  an  experience  was  his) 


218  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

Twice  before  had  he  been  led  into  the  light,  and 
twice  had  he  been  thrown  back  into  the  darkness. 
As  by  the  providence  of  God  he  had  been  led 
forward,  and  was  now  again  rescued,  he  hence- 
forth acted  as  one  chosen  out  of  God,  and  to  him 
alone  accountable.  In  his  own  heart  and  life  he 
was  led  to  a  profound  appreciation  of  the  great 
truths  that  it  would  be  his  mission  to  proclaim, 
and  of  those  high  spiritual  ends  that  it  would  be 
his  privilege  and  duty  to  seek.  If  at  any  time 
he  felt  discouraged  in  his  work,  he  thought  of 
the  consequences  of  former  disobedience,  and 
feeling  that  his  soul  would  be  imperiled,  addressed 
himself  again  to  his  work.  He  felt  himself  to  be 
unworthy  and  without  preparation;  he  had  the 
care  of  a  family;  he  had  the  management  of  a 
farm;  he  was  already  twenty-eight  years  of  age; 
but  when  once  in  the  field,  there  was  henceforth 
with  him  no  tiring  or  withdrawing  until  his 
earthly  course  was  finished.  What  a  contrast 
with  this  power  of  conviction  in  Xewcomer  we  • 
have,  in  our  times,  in  the  weakness  of  conviction 
that  leaves  to  the  ministry,  to  so  great  an  extent, 
only  those  that  are  foot-loose,  and  those  to  whom 
worldly  emoluments  are  closed!  In  better  peri- 
ods, the  ministry  has  claimed  the  choice  from  the 
multitudes  of  converts.  Mr.  Newcomer's  first 
public  testimony  was  given  while  on  a  visit  to 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  219 

Pennsylvania,  before  a  Mennonite  congregation 
of  his  old  friends  and  neighbors.  He  was  him- 
self much  affected,  and  every  one  present  was 
deeply  touched.  After  this,  he  was  frequently 
called  upon  "  to  exhort  and  speak  in  public,"  and 
test  he  should  lose  his  Ci  peace  of  mind  "  he  con- 
sented. 

Newcomer  was  a  man  of  commanding  figure, 
keen  visage,  and  was  possessed  of  a  voice  moder- 
ately strong.  He  was  not  a  great  preacher,  save 
in  the  concentration  and  pressure  of  purpose  that 
never  failed  to  make  itself  felt  upon  the  heart  and 
will.  A  natural  impediment,  sometimes  manifest- 
ing itself  in  his  speaking,  caused  Otterbein  at  one 
time  to  say  that  he  felt  as  though  he  would  like 
to  help  him.  Yet  Christian  Newcomer  occupied 
a  place  that  no  one  but  himself  was  able  to  fill. 

The  account  of  his  connection  with  the  move- 
ment under  Otterbein  will  be  given  in  his  own 
words:  "Already  for  a  considerable  time  I  had 
been  acquainted  with  William  Otterbein  and 
George  Adam  Geeting,  two  preachers  of  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  Church,*  and  had  frequently 
heard  them  preach  in  the  neighborhood  of  my 

*The  name  German  Reformed  for  Otterbein  and  Geeting,  was,  for  that 
period,  altogether  proper.  But  even  in  this  paragraph  Newcomer  takes 
up  the  distinctive  beginnings  of  the  religious  movement  and  insensibly 
merges  them  in  the  church  in  which  he  lived  and  wrought,  that  church 
furnishing  their  proppr  interpretation,  and  being,  in  his  mind,  entitled  to 
Include  its  rudimentary  elements. 


220  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

place  of  residence.     These  individuals,  endowed 
by  God,  preached  powerfully,  and  not  like  the 
scribes.     Their    discourses  made   uncommon  im- 
pressions  on  the   hearts    of    the    hearers.     They 
insisted  on  the  necessity  of  genuine  repentance 
and  conversion,  on  the  knowledge  of  a  pardon  of 
sin,  and  in  consequence  thereof,  a  change  of  heart 
and  renovation  of  spirit.     Many  secure  and  un- 
concerned sinners  were  by  their  instrumentality 
awakened  from  their  sleep  of  sin  and  death,  were 
converted  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the 
power  of  sin  and  Satan  unto   God.     They  soon 
collected    many   adherents   and    followers   of  the 
doctrines  that  they  preached,  from  the  multitudes 
that  congregated  to   hear  them.     Those  persons 
that  held  to  and  embraced  these  doctrines  were 
by  them  formed  into  societies,  and  were  called 
Otterbein's  People,  but  the  worldly-minded  gave 
them  the  nick-name  Dutch  Methodists,  which,  in 
those  days,  was  considered  slanderous.     As  these 
men  preached  the  same  doctrine  that  I  had  expe- 
rienced, and  which,  according  to  my  views  and 
discernment,  so  perfectly  agreed  with   the  doc- 
trine of  Jesus  Christ  and  his  apostles,  I  associated 
with  them  and  joined  their  society;  and,  blessed 
be  God,  although   I  withdrew   myself  from  the 
Mennonite  Society,  on  account  of  the  want  of  the 
life  and  power  of  religion  among  them,  I  never 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  221 

hi  any  wise  felt  condemned  for  so  doing.  On  the 
contrary,  I  have  received  many  a  blessing  of  God 
when  assembled  with  my  new  brethren.  The 
work  of  grace  was  now  spreading  very  rapidly 
among  the  German  population  in  the  states  of 
Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  and  from  every 
quarter  resounded  the  call,  '  Come  over  and  help 
us.'  The  harvest  was  great  and  the  laborers  few. 
About  this  time  it  was  frequently  required  of  me 
by  my  brethren  to  attend  meetings  that  were 
appointed  by  the  people  without  my  knowledge." 
The  account  given  is  of  value  as  illustrating 
the  stage  of  advancement  that,  at  this  early  time, 
the  revival -movement  had  reached;  for  the  be- 
ginning of  Xewcomer's  preaching,  as  here  refer- 
red to,  dates  from  the  year  1777.  At  the  time  to 
which  the  description  applies,  therefore,  the  Pie- 
tistic  movement  exclusively  within  the  Eeformed 
Church  had  ceased.  All  classes  on  turning  from 
their  sins  were  received  into  the  now  numerous 
"  societies."  Newcomer  became  an  addition  to  the 
preachers  already  in  the  field.  The  connection 
with  the  Mennonite  wing  in  Pennsylvania  was 
now  renewed  and  formed  into  a  perfect  bond. 
Boehm's  expulsion,  about  this  time,  cut  the  last 
barrier  that  restrained  him.  With  the  close  of 
the  Revolutionary  War  the  last  impediments  were 
removed. 


222  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

Another  record  of  the  progress  of  the  religious 
movement  is  to  be  found  in  the  articles  adopted 
January  1st,  1785,  for  Mr.  Otterbein's  church  in 
Baltimore.  In  the  fourteenth  article  reference  is 
made  to  the  "  various  churches  in  Pennsylvania, 
Maryland,  and  Virginia"  that  stood  "  under  tbe 
superintendence  of  Wm.  Otterbein."  The  fif- 
teenth article  refers  to  the  "  preachers  and  exhort- 
ers  "  already  in  the  field. 

The  account  of  Rev.  J.  W.  Runkle,  as  given  in 
the  "Fathers  of  the  Reformed  Church,"  gives  evi- 
dence, furthermore,  that  Mr.  Otterbein's  work 
was  not  without  its  clashing  with  the  representa- 
tives and  methods  of  the  Reformed  Church.  In 
1787  Mr.  Runkle  expressed  a  regret  that,  when 
the  congregation  in  Loudoun  County,  Virginia, 
desired  to  dispense  with  his  services  and  secure 
those  of  the  evangelical  Weimer,  already  referred 
to  as  one  of  the  "  united  ministers,"  Mr.  Otter- 
bein sided  with  the  congregation.  In  1700  and 
1793  Runkle  again  complained  that  Mr.  Otterbein 
and  those  holding  his  views  sought  to  draw  away 
"  the  religious  portion  "  of  his  members.* 

Some  space  will  now  be  claimed  by  formal 
meetings  held  by  Mr.  Otterbein  and  his  co-labor- 

*  Dr.  Harbaugh  says  that  Runkle  "most  decidedly  disapproved  of  the 
wild  movement  which,  in  his  time,  grew  into  the  sect  of  the  United  Breth- 
ren in  Christ,  as  well  as  of  all  Methodistic  extravagance  in  general." 


LIFE    OP    OTTERBHIIS.  223 

ers.  It  is  said  that  from  1766  *  the  preachers 
engaged  in  the  revival-work  came  together  as 
often  as  once  a  year,  generally  at  a  great  meeting, 
to  consult  over  their  work  and  to  encourage  one 
another.  It  is  certain  that  for  some  years  before 
1789  there  were  meetings  at  which  the  attendance 
of  the  preachers  was  a  special  feature.  The  dis- 
cipline of  the  United  Brethren  Church  published 
in  1815  contains  the  following  :  "  Several  great 
meetings  were  appointed  and  held  annually.  On 
such  occasions  Mr.  Otterbein  would  hold  partic 
ular  conversations  with  the  preachers  then  pres- 
ent, and  represent  to  them  the  importance  of  the 
ministry,  and  the  necessity  of  their  utmost  en- 
deavor to  save  souls.  At  one  of  these  meetings 
it  was  resolved  to  hold  a  conference  with  all  the 
preachers,  in  order  to  take  into  consideration  in 
what  manner  they  might  be  most  useful."  The 
conference  referred  to  was  held  in  1789,  in  Balti- 
more, in  Mr.  Otterbem's  parsonage,  and  laid  the 
first  formal  basis  for  the  United  Brethren.  First, 
an  account  will  be  given  of  the  preachers  co-oper- 
ating with  Mr.  Otterbein,  and  then  some  account 


*  If  the  date  1766  has  good  historical  foundation,  the  meeting  at  Isaac 
Long's  would,  with  the  greatest  probability,  belong  to  that  particular  year. 
The  statement  is  in  error  as  to  some  things,  as  for  instance,  in  regard  to 
the  uninterrupted  attendance  of  all  the  preachers.  In  its  general  charac- 
ter, or  in  some  of  its  elements,  however,  the  statement  appears  to  be  not 
without  fouudatioo. 


224  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

of  the  proceedings,  and  the  significance  of  the 
conference. 

The  members  present  were  William  Otterbein, 
Martin  Boehm,  George  A.  Geeting,  Christian 
Newcomer,  Henry  Weidner,  Adam  Lehman,  and 
Jobn  Ernst.  The  absent  members  were  Benedict 
Schwope,  Henry  Baker,  Simon  Herre,  Frederick 
Schaffer,  Martin  Crider,  Christopher  Grosh,  and 
Abraham  Troxel.  Those  already  prominently 
introduced  need  not  be  noticed  here. 

Henry  Weidner  was  born  in  Switzerland.  His 
3xcellent  talents  had  received  fair  cultivation. 
As  early  as  1785  he  was  an  elder  in  Mr.  Otter- 
bein's  church  in  Baltimore.  He  was  a  leader  of 
one  of  the  Baltimore  "classes"  in  1774,  and  was 
afterward  licensed  to  preach  by  the  "  united 
ministers."  He  traveled  and  preached  extensively. 
About  1790  he  moved  to  Virginia.  He  ever  re- 
mained dear  to  the  heart  of  Mr.  Otterbein.  He 
died  in  1811  near  Baltimore. 

Adam  Lehman  in  1774  lived  on  Sam's  Creek, 
near  the  northern  line  of  Frederick  County,  Ma- 
ryland. While  here  he  was  one  of  the  leaders  of 
the  Sam's  Creek  "  class."  At  an  early  time  there 
were  mp,ny  followers  of  Mr.  Otterbein  at  thi^ 
place.  He  afterward  moved  to  near  Frederick. 
Eev.  Peter  Kemp  was  his  son-in-law.  Mr.  Leh- 
man's preaching  probably  began  about  1777.  He 
died  in  1823,  aged  ninety-one. 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  225 

John  Ernst  began  to  preach  prior  to  1789,  while 
living,  as  it  seems,  near  the  place  of  Martin  Boehm 
in  Lancaster  County,  Pennsylvania.  About  1790 
he  began  to  preach  at  East  Berlin,  now  in  Adams 
County,  and  at  other  places.  Mr.  Otterbein,  for  a 
number  of  years,  came  regularly  from  Baltimore 
to  administer  the  Lord's-supper  to  the  people 
that  he  served.  Mr.  Ernst  is  claimed  as  having 
been  a  minister  of  the  Reformed  Church,  but  he 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  ordained  by  that 
church,  or  to  have  been  at  any  time  other  than 
one  of  "  Otterbein's  preachers."  *  He  was  a  good 
man  and  an  earnest  and  successful  preacher.  He 
died  in  1804. 

Benedict  Schwope  has  already  been  referred 
to.  At  the  time  of  the  conference  he  was  possi- 
bly already  in  Kentucky. 

Henry  Baker,  at  the  time  of  the  conference, 
was  a  member  of  Otterbein's  vestry.  Why  his 
name  does  not  occur  in  the  list  of  members  pres- 
ent is  not  explained.  He  afterward  moved  to 
Virginia,  and  still  later  to  Tennessee,  where  he 
died  at  some  time  before  1812.  He  was  a  labori- 
ous and  successful  evangelist. 

*"  It  is  certain  that  he  was  not  [connected  with  the  synod]  during  the 
first  few  years  of  his  ministry  in  York  Connty,  from  the  fact  that  the  ehiwoh 
at  Holtzschwam  *  *  *  was  locked  against  him,  on  the  very  ground  th*t 
he  was  not  in  connection  with  the  synod,  and  that  he  belonged  to  what  were 
called  the  '  Otterbein  and  Geeting  People  '—out  of  which  grew  the  sect  of 
the  United  Brethren  in  Christ."— Harbaugh. 
If 


226  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

Of  Simon  Herre  (Herr)  little  is  known  beyond 
the  fact  that  he  was  introduced  into  the  ministry 
immediately  by  Otterbein,  and  that  he  was  highly 
esteemed  by  him.  He  labored  in  Virginia,  though 
he  doubtless  belonged  to  the  Herrs  of  Lancaster 
County,  Pennsylvania,  and  would  therefore  have 
been  originally  a  Mennonite. 

Frederick  Schaffer  was  originally  a  member  of 
the  Reformed  Church.  He  was  a  diligent  laborer 
and  an  acceptable  preacher.  He  had  the  distin- 
guished honor  of  assisting  Mr.  Otterbein  during 
the  last  days  of  the  latter,  of  being  one  of  the 
three  formally  ordained  by  him,  and  of  filling  his 
pulpit  for  several  months  after  his  death.  He 
labored  among  the  United  Brethren  until  his 
death,  which  seems  to  have  occurred  about  1814. 

Martin  Crider  has  the  distinction  of  having 
entered  upon  the  work  of  preaching,  after  Otter- 
bein and  Boehm,  the  first  among  the  ministers  of 
the  revival-movement.  He  must  therefore  have 
been  already  preaching  in  1772.  He  was  origin- 
ally a  Mennonite.  His  home  was  near  Lebanon, 
Pennsylvania,  where  he  died  and  was  buried  in 
1826,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six. 

Christopher  Grosh  was  of  Moravian  descent. 
His  home  was  near  New  Holland,  in  Lancaster 
County,  Pennsylvania.  In  many  respects  he  was 
a  superior  man.     He  perceived  the  necessity  of 


LIFE    OF    OTTBRBEIX.  ZZi 

organization  and  system  in  advance  of  many  of 
his  brethren.  Immediately  about  him  there  was 
a  small  circle  of  evangelical  preachers,  not  all  of 
whom  went  so  far  as  to  directly  connect  them- 
selves with  the  United  Brethren.  While  lie  was 
in  the  fellowship  of  these  men,  he  was  also  im- 
portantly connected  with  the  rise  and  progress  of 
the  United  Brethren.  Those  that  knew  well  his 
work  have  asserted  that  the  part  that  he  per- 
formed has  never  heen  properly  recognized.  He 
died  in  1829. 

Abraham  Troxel  was  of  the  Ornish  section  of 
the  Mennonites.  He  learned,  however,  to  distin- 
guish between  the  grace  of  God  in  the  soul  and 
the  cut  and  fastenings  of  garments.  He  wa* 
born  in  Lebanon  County,  Pennsylvania,  in  1750. 
After  being  silenced  by  the  Ornish  on  account 
of  his  evangelical  preaching,  he  became,  in  1782, 
associated  with  the  preachers  of  the  revival-move- 
ment. For  some  time  prior  to  1804  he  lived  near 
the  town  of  Lebanon.  In  1804  he  moved  across 
the  mountains  to  Westmoreland  County,  Penn- 
sylvania. His  home  was  about  two  miles  from 
Mt.  Pleasant.  Living  at  this  place  he  had  the 
greatest  influence  in  encouraging  and  helping  the 
work  in  all  the  region  beyond  him.  He  died  in 
1825. 

Undoubtedly  to  the  names   already  given  the 


228  LIFE    OF    OTTfiUBEIST. 

name  of  Leonard  Harbaugrh  should  be  added. 
He  was  one  of  the  original  elders  of  Mr.  Otter- 
bein's  church  in  Baltimore.  He  was  a  prominent 
architect,  whose  skill  is  spoken  of  by  Griffith  in 
his  Annals.  He  was  the  leader  of  one  of  the  Bal- 
timore "  classes  "  in  1774.  In  1812  Mr.  Asbury 
spoke  of  him  as  "  once  famous,  gifted,  laborious, 
useful."  He  then  added,  "  He  is  now  only  a 
great  mechanic,  alas !  " 

While  the  above  list  does  not  include  the  names 
of  all  the  preachers  engaged  in  the  religious 
movement  among  the  Germans  prior  to  1789,  it 
yet  gives  a  comparatively  clear  and  full  view  of 
the  strength  and  character  of  the  movement. 
There  were  numbered  among  those  present  five 
on  the  Reformed  side  and  two  on  the  Mennonite 
side.  Among  those  absent  there  were  four  on 
the  Reformed  side,  three  on  the  Mennonite  side, 
and  there  was  one  representative  from  the  Mora- 
vians. The  people  represented  by  these  ministers 
were,  however,  much  more  diverse  in  their  orig- 
inal church-connections. 

Having  thus  looked  upon  the  preachers  of  this 
awakening  among  the  Germans,  we  next  inquire 
the  reason  for  the  conference  of  1789,  and  in 
regard  to  the  work  done.  Before  this  time  the 
movement  was  under  the  direction  of  Otterbein 
and  Boehm,  not  in  any  formal  way,  but  because 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  229 

it  was  to  so  large  an  extent  a  product  of  tb  mi- 
selves,  and  because  as  Jet  it  had  no  :omplete 
character  apart  from  themselves.  The  following 
license,  though  bearing  date  of  1801,  represents 
more  strictly  the  period  down  to  1800,  and  is 
given  here  as  showing  the  leading  position  held 
by  Otterbein  and  Boehm: 

We,  the  undersigned,  hereby  witness  that  David 
Snyder,  in  West  Bans  Fori  Township,  Cumberland 
County,  Pennsylvania,  stands  among  us  as  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel,  by  our  consent.  Given  by  us  at  Peter 
Kemp's,  Frederick  County  Maryland,  September, 
24th,  1801. 

W.  Otterbein,  V.  D.  M. 

Martin  Boehm. 

It  was  now  necessary  that  the  work  should  be 
given  a  basis  of  its  own,  that  preachers  and  peo- 
ple should  have  a  more  conscious  perception  of 
their  position  and  duties.  The  primary  object  of 
the  conference  was  not  to  arrange  work,  but  to 
settle  its  character.  Otterbein  and  Boehm  could 
have  managed  the  work,  and  the  laborers  would 
have  willingly  submitted  to  their  direction; 
but  work  thus  dependent  would  have  been  in 
constant  peril.  The  double  object  that  it  was 
desirable  to  accompli sh  was,  to  bring  the  work 
nearer  to  the  leaders,  and  to  throw  upon  their 


230"  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

co-workers  a  responsibility  that  they  had  not  yet 
felt. 

An  important  act  of  the  conference  was  to 
adopt  the  following  confession  of  faith : 

In  the  name  of  God  we  declare  and  confess  before 
all  men,  that  we  believe  in  the  only  true  God,  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost;  that  these 
are  one  —  the  Father  in  the  Son,  the  Son  in  the 
Father,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  equal  in  essence  or 
being  with  both ;  that  this  God  created  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  and  all  that  in  them  is,  visible  as  well 
as  invisible,  and  furthermore  sustains,  governs,  pro- 
tects, and  supports  the  same. 

We  believe  in  Jesus  Christ ;  that  he  is  very  God 
and  man,  Savior  and  Redeemer  of  the  whole  world ; 
that  all  men  through  him  may  be  saved  if  they 
will;  that  this  Jesus  has  suffered  for  us;  that  he 
died  and  was  buried,  rose  on  the  third  day,  ascended 
into  heaven,  and  that  he  will  come  again,  at  the  last 
day,  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead. 

We  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  proceeds 
from  the  Father  and  the  Son ;  that  we  through  him 
must  be  sanctified  and  receive  faith,  thereby  being 
cleansed  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit. 

We  believe  that  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God ; 
that  it  contains  the  true  way  to  our  salvation ; 
that  every  true  Christian  is  bound  to  acknowledge 
and  receive  it  with  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  as  the  only  rule  and  guide ;  and  that  without 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  231 

repentance,  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  forgiveness  of  sins, 
and  following  after  Jesus  Christ,  no  one  can  be  a 
true  Christian. 

We  also  believe  that  what  is  contained  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures  —  to-wit:  the  fall  in  Adam  and  re- 
demption through  Jesus  Christ — shall  be  preach  :d 
throughout  the  whole  world. 

We  recommend  that  the  outward  signs  and  ordi- 
nances—  namely,  baptism  and  the  remembrance  of 
the  Lord  in  the  dispensing  of  the  bread  and  wine, — 
he  observed;  also  the  washing  of  feet,  when  the 
same  is  desired. 

The  confession  of  faith  down  to  toward  the 
close  seems  to  have  been  previously  drawn  up  by 
Mr.  Otterbein,  and  to  have  been  in  use  in  his  con- 
gregation in  Baltimore.  The  concluding  part  was 
doubtless  added,  and  given  a  mild  wording,  in 
order  that  all  might  feel  secure  as  to  the  posses- 
sion of  the  ordinances  according  to  their  own  con- 
viction. The  liberal  views  here  indicated  were 
not  a  new  feature  in  the  movement.  The  confes- 
sion simply  recognized  the  understanding  that 
had  been  reached  at  the  union  at  Isaac  Long's. 
The  Mennonites  baptized  by  pouring,  and  held 
to  feet-washing  as  an  ordinance,  while  the  Ger- 
mans of  all  other  classes  differed  from  them  in 
these  and  other  respects.  But  under  the  melting 
and  transforming  power  of  the  revival  they  found 
a  common  ground  on  which  they  could  all  stand 


232  LIFE   OP    OTTERBEIN. 

— not  that  of  uniformity,  but  that  of  mutual  for- 
bearance  and   allowance.  * 

The  confession  may  be  taken  as  a  reflection  of 
Mr.  Otterbein's  mini,  and  when  regarded  as  a 
whole,  it  is  simple  aid  majestic.  It  impresses  by 
what  it  includes,  by  what  it  omits,  and  by  its  doc- 
trinal savor.  It  rests  on  the  Apostles'  Creed  and 
the  New  Testament,  and  adds  only  those  neces- 
sary specifications  in  regard  to  the  application 
and  mission  of  the  gosp:l  that  even  the  simplest 
of  the  later  creed.;  have  been  compelled  to  include. 
The  closing  part  grew  out  of  a  particular  exi- 
gency. Tl:c  glory  of  the  creed  is  that  while  Mr. 
Otterbein  drew  it  together,  he  did  not  make  it; 
that  wliiL  ho  U3ed  old  material,  he  appreciated 
every  word  and  element  that  he  employed,  and 
that  he  was  neither  biased  by  obsolete  forms  nor 
by  recent  controversies.  The  creed  might  be 
called  a  working  creed  —  a  fit  creed  for  a  revival- 
people,  whose  defense  is  rather  in  the  heart  than 
in  the  armor. 

At  this  conference  there  were  also  adopted  rules 

*  It  is  not  without  some  satisfaction  that  the  correspondence  may,  at 
this  time,  be  pointed  out  between  these  views  and  those  expressed  in  the 
recently-discovered  manuscript  entitled  "Teaching  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.'" 
The  words  in  the  manuscript  are:  "  And  touching  baptism,  thus  baptize: 
having  first  declared  all  these  things,  baptize  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  living  water.  But  if  thou  have 
not  lining  water,  baptize  in  other  water;  and  if  thou  canst  not  in  cold,  then 
'n  w»*m.  But  if  thou  have  neither,  pour  on  the  head  water  thrice  in  the 
nam*  of  Father  and  Son  and  Holy  SDir't." 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  233 

of  discipline.  The  basis  of  these  rules  was  the 
rules  of  Mr.  Otterbehrs  church,  as  already  given. 
The  rules  of  1789,  along  with  the  confession  of 
faith,  were  ordered  published  in  1813.  The  rules 
were  revised  and  adopted  anew  at  the  conference  of 
1814.  The  confession  of  faith  and  the  rules  of  disci- 
pline were  retained  by  the  first  general  conference 
of  the  United  Brethren  in  1815.  Mr.  Spayth,  one 
of  the  secretaries  of  that  conference,  speaks  of  the 
confession  of  faith  of  1789  as  the  "  same  as  in 
discipline."  The  minutes  of  the  general  confer- 
ence of  1815  say,  "  The  revision  of  the  confession 
of  faith  and  rules  of  discipline  of  the  church  was 
attended  to,  and  with  some  small  alterations  the 
confession  of  faith  and  the  rules  of  discipline 
were  ordered  printed."  The  revision  of  the  con- 
fession consisted  in  the  modification  of  some  ex- 
pressions, in  the  insertion  of  a  single  short  article, 
and  in  giving  a  more  definite  statement  as  to  the 
essential  character  of  the  ordinances,  and  as  to 
liberty  in  the  mode  of  observing  the  same.  In 
1825  there  was  an  additional  insertion  of  words, 
in  regard  to  liberty  in  the  manner  of  observing 
the  ordinances,  but  the  sense  remained  unchanged. 
The  rules  of  discipline  were  adopted  in  spirit  and 
substance  rather  than  in  form. 

The  second  formal  conference  was  held  in  1791, 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  John  Spanglcr,  eight  miles 


234  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

from  York,  Pennsylvania.*  There  was  no  formal 
conference  in  1700,  or  for  a  number  of  years  after 
1791.  As  has  been  already  observed,  the  early 
conferences  were  not  annual  conferences  for  the 
purpose  of  arranging  the  year's  work,  but  con- 
ferences to  form  a  basis  for  action,  and  to  secure 
intelligent  and  responsible  work.  The  conference 
of  1791  seems  rather  to  have  confirmed  and  car- 
ried forward  what  was  entered  upon  in  1789  than 
to  have  undertaken  anything  new. 

The  members  recognized  by  the  conference  of 
1791  were  as  follows:  Present — ¥m.  Otterbein, 
Martin  Boehm,  George  A.  Geeting,  Christian 
Newcomer,  Adam  Lehman,  John  Ernst,  J.  G. 
Pfrimmer,  John  Xeidig,  and  Benedict  Sanders. 
Absent — Henry  Weidner,  Henry  Baker,  Martin 
Crider,  F.  Schaffer,  Christopher  Grosh,  Abraham 
Troxel,  Christian  Crum,  G.  Fortenbach,  D.  Striek- 
ler,  J.  Hershey,  Simon  Herre,  J.  llautz,  and  Ben- 
edict Schwope. 

Of  a  few  of  the  new  preachers  an  account  will 
be  given.  John  George  Pfrimmer,  one  of  the 
most  talented  and  successful  of  Mr.  Otterbein's 
co-laborers,  was  born  in  Alsace,  an  old   French 

*  Mr.  Spangler  was  a  large  land-holder  and  a  substantial  citizen.  In 
Church-connection  the  family  were  Reformed.  The  house  in  which  th« 
conference  was  held  is  still  standing,  though  no  longer  used  as  a  dwelling. 
Mr.  Otterbein  and  his  co-laborers  won  their  way  to  the  most  substantial 
and  best-to-do  people;  but  at  the  same  time  they  neither  shrunk  nor  de- 
spaired in  the  face  of  the  greatest  wretchedness  and  degradation. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  235 

province,  at  present  a  part  of  the  German  em- 
pire, July  24th,  1762,  and  came  to  Pennsylvania 
in  1788.  He  had  been  well  educated.  Not  long 
after  his  arrival  in  this  country  he  was  awakened 
and  converted  under  the  influence  of  the  wide- 
spread religious  movement  whose  history  we  have 
been  following.  He  soon  felt  himself  called  to 
preach,  and  in  1790  entered  upon  the  work.  First 
in  eastern  Pennsylvania,  then  in  the  Suscpiehanna 
valley,  and  as  early  as  1800  west  of  the  Allegha- 
nies,  he  preached  with  rare  diligence,  power,  and 
success.  After  1800  there  was  some  alienation 
between  him  and  the  other  preachers,  apparently 
in  consequence  of  the  half-and-half  relation  that 
he  sustained,  for  a  time,  to  the  Reformed  Church. 
His  earnestness  and  devotion  to  the  same  work 
in  which  they  were  engaged,  however,  soon  again 
made  him  one  with  them.  In  1807  he  made  a 
visit  to  Indiana,  and  in  1808  he  settled  in  Harri- 
son County  of  that  territory,  a  few  miles  south- 
east of  Corydon.  From  1809  to  1811  he  was 
associate  judge  of  the  court,  in  Harrison  County. 
He  early  became  an  important  member  of  Miami 
Conference.  He  was  formally  ordained  in  1815. 
As  a  result  of  his  labors  a  church  was  built  in 
1818  in  his  neighborhood,  on  ground  owned  by 
his  son.  It  was  the  first  United  Brethren  church 
built  west  of  the  Ohio.     He  likewise  formed  tho 


236  LUTE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

first  United  Brethren  class  in  Indiana.  Through 
his  foresight  and  extraordinary  energy  he  con- 
tributed greatly  to  the  establishment  of  the  work 
in  the  West.  The  hero  in  many  toils  and  the 
victor  in  many  conflicts,  he  ended  his  labors  with 
his  life  in  1825, 

John  Neidig  was  born  in  Berks  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, in  1765.  Soon  afterward  his  father 
moved  to  the  neighborhood  of  Harrisburg.  He 
was  brought  up  in  the  Mennonite  Church.  When 
in  his  twenty-fifth  year,  he  was  chosen  by  the  lot 
to  be  a  preacher.  He  was  naturally  serious,  and 
previously  to  his  selection  he  had  been  seeking 
and  praying  for  a  clean  heart.  He  felt  burdened 
with  the  responsibility  of  the  ministerial  office. 
When  he  obtained  the  divine  blessing,  and  when 
his  spiritual  eyes  were  opened,  he  declared  evan- 
gelical truth  with  such  pointedness  and  force  that 
his  Mennonite  brethren  would  no  longer  tolerate 
him.  Thus  he  was  led  to  present  himself  for 
membership  at  the  conference  of  1791.  Mr. 
Spayth  gives  the  following  description  of  him : 

"  Among  all  the  brethren  yet  noticed,  or  here- 
after to  be  noticed,  Brother  Xeidig  was  the 
Nathaniel.  He  possessed  an  excellent  spirit, — 
meek,  gentle,  just.  Of  them  that  were  without, 
he  had  a  good  report.  The  virtues  and  graces 
requisite  in  an  elder  in  the  church  of  God  were 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEM.  237 

all  exhibited  in  his  character;  and  the  clear  light 
of  his  beautiful  and  holy  life,  which  shed  a  luster 
along  his  pathway,  was  never  extinguished,  nor 
even  suffered  a  momentary  eclipse.  As  a  preacher, 
he  was  able  by  sound  doctrine  to  exhort  and 
convince  the  gainsayers.  His  language  was  select 
and  chaste,  and  his  manner  inimitable." 

He  was  faithful  in  his  attendance  at  the  confer- 
ences, and  was  abundant  in  ministerial  labors. 
He  died  in  1844. 

Christian  and  Henry  drum,  twin  brothers,  were 
brought  up  not  far  from  Frederick  City,  Mary- 
land. Their  parents  belonged  to  the  Reformed 
Church.  They  were  earnest,  holy  men,  and  both 
became  itinerants.  Their  homes  were  subse- 
quently in  Virginia,  Henry,  however,  was  not  a 
preacher  in  1791.  Christian  labored  extensively, 
and  was  acceptable  and  useful  as  a  preacher.  He 
was  highly  esteemed  by  Mr.  Otterbein,  who,  to- 
ward the  close  of  his  life,  made  him  a  present  of 
his  Bible  and  hymn-book,  which  are  still  pre- 
served.*    He  died  in  1823. 

John  Hershey  was  of  Mennonite  descent.  He 
lived  at  Hagerstown,  Maryland.  While  he  did 
not  preach  as  constantly  as  some,  he  was  yet  a 
pillar  in  his  community,  and  was  generally  in  his 
place  in  the  conferences. 

*In  the  library  of  Otterbein  University. 


238  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

Though  for  a  time  after  1791  there  were  ug 
formal  conferences,  the  ministers  yet  frequently 
met  at  great  meetings,  and,  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Otterbein  and  Boehm,  new  men  were 
licensed,  and  the  work  was  carried  forward  with 
increasing  success.  George  Benedum,  forty-three 
years  in  the  ministry,  preaching  first  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  afterward  in  Ohio,  began  to  preach  in 
1794.  Jacob  Baulus,  preaching  the  gospel  first 
in  Maryland  and  then  in  Ohio,  through  a  pe- 
riod of  fifty-six  years,  was  licensed  in  1795. 
Abraham  Mayer,  whose  home  was  in  Cumber- 
land County,  Pennsylvania,  was  for  thirty  years 
a  monument  of  faithfulness.  He  began  his  min- 
istry in  1796.  Even  the  administering  of  the 
ordinances  was  conceded,  on  a  cautious  plan,  to 
suitable  ones  among  the  preachers. 

To  indicate  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  work 
that  Mr.  Otterbein's  labors  had  been  the  chief  in- 
strument in  setting  in  motion,  and  that  he  was 
now  occupied  in  directing  and  watching  over,  a 
lew  extracts  from  Christian  Newcomer's  journal 
will  be  introduced.  Of  course  it  is  Newcomer 
himself  whom  we  shall  follow.  The  following  is 
the  first  entry  in  the  journal. 

"1795.  October  27th.  This  morning  I  left  home; 
rode  through  Mercersburg  to  Spruce  Creek, 
where  I  staved  for  the  night. — 28th.     This  morn- 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  239 

ing  I  am  well  by  the  mercy  of  God,  and  willing 
to  do  and  suffer  all  things  that  the  hand  of  my 
Maker  shall  lay  on  me.  I  had  rather  a  restless 
night,  and  when  endeavoring  to  raise  my  thoughts 
to  God,  my  mind  was  diverted  so  that  I  had  but 
a  small  share  of  the  spirit  of  prayer.  Oh,  what  an 
impatient  and  unfit  creature  I  am!  Oh,  the  weak- 
ness and  poverty  of  spirit!  *  *  * — 29th.  This 
day  I  traveled  all  the  day  long.  About  dusk,  the 
path  I  rode  led  me  up  a  tolerably  high  mountain. 
The  ascent  was  very  steep.  I  therefore  got  from 
my  horse  and  drove  him  before  me.  Presently 
he  commenced  ascending  at  such  a  gate  that  I 
was  unable  to  follow.  By  this  time  it  had  become 
dark,  and  I  had  lost  all  sight  of  him;  but,  blessed 
be  God,  on  the  top  of  the  mountain  I  found  him 
waiting  for  me." 

The  next  extract  indicates  the  appointments 
included  within  what  he  calls  his  "  circuit."  At 
some  of  the  places  single  appointments  were 
made  by  special  request  of  the  people,  or  at  his 
own  convenience  in  making  his  trips.  Other 
places  were  served  regularly.  The  different 
preachers  at  this  time  had  circuits  about  their 
own  homes,  which  they  served  from  year  to  year. 
The  following  is  the  extract: 

"  1795.  December  11th.  This  morning  I  set  out 
again  from  my  home  for  the  circuit,  and  spoke  at 


240  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

the  first  appointment  from  John  iii.  14,  and  at 
Virumbach's,  in  Virginia,  at  candle-light;  the 
15th  at  Frederick  Kemp's,  from  II.  Peter  i.  5-7; 
16th  at  Liberty,  from  John  iii.  14-18;  17th 
at  Bishop's,  in  the  forenoon  from  Luke  xvii.  12- 
19,  in  the  evening,  at  a  school-house,  from  Romans 
i.  5;  on  the  18th  at  Shryack's,  from  John  iii.  14; 
19th  at  Degis's,  from  Luke  xvii.  14;  20th  at 
Emmitsburg,  fr^m  Psalms  i.  1;  21st  at  Ilar- 
baugh's;  22d  at  Christian  King's,  from  Psalms 
i.  5-7;  23d,  returned  home." 

These  appointments  were  situated  in  three  dif- 
ferent states,  and  yet  they  only  made  up  about 
one  third  of  his  circuit.  It  was  a  part  of  his 
work,  also,  in  company  with  Geeting  and  others, 
frequently  to  visit  the  fields  that  were  occupied 
by  other  preachers,  or  that  were  without  regular 
preaching.  Along  the  line  of  these  trips  several 
great  meetings  would  be  held.  The  following 
extract  gives  an  account  of  a  section  of  one  of 
these  trips  : 

"  1796.  April  16th.  I  left  home  for  Pennsylva- 
nia.— 17th.  I  was  at  a  place  called  Turkey;  18th, 
at  the  Monocacy. — 19th.  Held  a  meeting  in  the 
forenoon  in  what  is  called  Paradise;*  and  in  the 
evening  at  Strickler's.f  Here  we  had  a  two-days' 
meeting,  on  the  20th  and  21st.    Administered  the 

*JohnSpa»agler's,  in  York  County,    f  Lancaster  County. 


LIFE    OP    OTTERBEm.  241 

sacrament  of  the  Lord's-supper.  Blessed  be  the 
Lord  for  all  his  mercies.  I  preached  in  the  even- 
ing at  Strasburg. — 22d.  I  had  an  appointment 
at  Mr.  S.'s.— 23d,  24th,  and  25th,  we  had  a  sac- 
ramental meeting  at  Sinking-  Springs.*  I  preached 
the  first  day  from  the  ninth  psalm.  Glory  be  to 
God,  it  was  a  blessed  time.— 26th.  This  day  I 
came  in  company  with  Brother  Geeting  to  what 
is  called  Berner's  Church,  but  we  were  not  per- 
mitted to  preach  therein.  So  Brother  Geeting 
spoke  in  the  grave-yard  adjoining  the  church,  to  a 
numerous  congregation, with  remarkable  power. — ■ 
27th.  We  held  a  meeting  at  a  place  called  the 
Black  Ridge  Church.  Here  we  were  also  refused 
permission  to  preach  in  the  church,  and  Brother 
Geeting  spoke  in  the  school -house  adjoining. — 
28th.  I  preached  at  Mr.  S.'s,  from  Psalms  xxxiv. 
15. — 29th.  Our  appointment  was  at  a  church  called 
Pibob's.  Brother  Geeting  spoke  in  the  forenoon, 
and  I  in  the  afternoon  from  John  iii.  14. — 30th. 
This  day  our  quarterly  meeting  commenced  at 
Brother  TroxePs.  I  made  the  beginning  by  speak- 
ing from  Luke  xi.  21  and  22. — May  1.  This  fore- 
noon Brother  Geeting  preached  from  the  forty- 
seventh  psalm.  In  the  afternoon  Brother  Boehni 
gave  an  interesting  discourse  from  these  words: 


Berfe*  County » 
16 


242  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

"  The  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  and  to  save 
that  which  was  lost." 

A  few  extracts  will  now  be  given  indicating 
something  of  the  general  work  of  Mr.  Boehm 
and  others: 

"1800.  August  30.  This  forenoon  Father  Boehm 
preached  in  Hauser's  Meeting-house.  His  son 
Henry  spoke  after  him.  -In  the  afternoon  they 
spoke  at  Geeting's  Meeting-house.  We  tarried  to- 
gether at  Iless's. — Sept.  1st.  This  morning  my 
soul  is  particularly  drawn  out  in  secret  prayer,  for 
sanctifying  grace.  0  Lord,  sanctify  me  wholly 
and  cleanse  me  from  all  sin,  for  Jesus'  sake.  We 
set  out  for  Virginia,  and  came  to  Christian  Crum's, 
where  we  stayed  for  the  night. — 2d.  This  day  a 
great  congregation  was  assembled  here.  Father 
Boehm  preached  first.  I  followed  him.  The 
Friend  of  sinners  was  present  at  the  meeting.  At 
night  we  held  a  meeting  at  Dr.  Senseny's,  in 
Winchester.  Father  Boehm  preached  with  great 
power.  A  Methodist  brother  spoke  after  him  in 
the  English  language.  I  stayed  for  the  night 
with  Mr.  Lauck. — 4th.  This  day  we  had  a  meet- 
ing at  Abraham  Kiswander's.  The  people  were 
very  attentive.  I  trust  some  good  was  done.  We 
rode  to  a  Mr.  A.  Boehm's.  I  preached  here  from 
Heb.  xii.  15.  Henry  Boehm  followed  me. — 5th. 
This  foreaoon  we  held  a  meeting  at  Jacob  Funk- 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  243 

houser's.     Rode  thence  to  Woodstock.  *  *  *  

11th.     This   day   a  great  many  people  collected 
from  far  and  near.    I  preached  from  Acts  xiv.  22. 
Father  Boehm  followed  me.     He   had  not  spoken 
long   when   quite    unexpectedly   several    persons 
rose  simultaneously  to  their  feet,  clapping   and 
striking  their  hands,  and  with  an  ecstasy  of  joy 
shouting  and  praising  God.     At   night  we  held 
meeting  again,  which  lasted  till  past  midnight. 
The  house  could  not  contain  all  the  people  that 
assembled.    Father  Boehm  baptized  young  Daniel 
Strickler  and  his  companion. — 12th.   This  day  we 
rode  to  Peter  Biber's,  in  Augusta  County.  *  *  *  — 
20th.  This  day  a  sacramental  meeting  commenced 
at  Abraham  Niswander's.     Very  suitable  accom- 
modations were  made  under  the  open  canopy  of 
heaven.    I  preached  first,  from  Luke  xxiv.  46  and 
47.     Brother    Cram  followed   me.      At   night   I 
preached  at  Senseny's,  from  the  words,  "They 
that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy."     Met  the 
class  and  had  a  very  good  time.— 21st.    This  day 
a  vast  multitude  of  people  was  collected.    Father 
Boehm  delivered  the  first  discourse.     Some  other- 
brother  followed  him;  but  it  appeared  to  me  as  if 
the  power  of  darkness  hovered  over  the  assembly. 
The  word  spoken  had  not  the  desired  effect.     In 
the  afternoon   I  preached  from  II.   Peter  i.  19, 
with  considerable  liberty.    Henry  Boehm  followed 


244  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

me.  *  *  * — 23d.  To-day  we  had  meeting  at 
Hauser's,  where  we  met  Brother  Pfrimmer. 
Thence  reached  home.'7 

Many  entries  like  the  following  occur:  "1799. 
June  1st.  To-day  a  sacramental  meeting*  com- 
menced at  Brother  Isaac  Long's.  On  our  arrival 
at  the  place  appointed  we  found  Brothers  Boehm, 
Pfrimmer,  Neidig,  Grosh,  Crider,  and  Shuey. 
Brother  Pfrimmer  commenced  the  meeting.  Other 
brethren  spoke  after  him.  At  night  we  had  a 
happy  meeting  at  Abraham  Hershey's." 

Thus  we  have  accounts  of  a  field  extending 
from  Berks  County  in  Pennsylvania  to  Augusta 
County  in  Virginia,  and  from  Baltimore,  Mary- 
land, to  Westmoreland  County,  Pennsylvania, 
which  Xewcomer  visited  in  1799. 

We  will  now  notice,  through  the  aid  of  New- 
comer's journal,  some  of  the  instances  in  which 
Mr.  Otterbein's  presence  and  labors  were  afforded. 
It  will  be  sufficient,  for  the  most  part,  to  refer  to 
some  of  the  great  meetings*  at  Antietam,f  which 

*The  great  meetings  were  sometimes  held  in  groves,  yet  they  were  not 
camp-meeting's.  Sometimes  they  were  held  in  barns  and  sometimes  in 
private  houses.  The  meetings  were  called  great  meetings,  quarterly 
meetings,  sacramental  meetings,  and  two-days'  meetings,  according  to  the 
accidents  belonging  to  them.  They  did  not  have  the  form  of  our  pro- 
tracted meetings,  yet  they  served  the  same  purpose.  They  seldom  ex- 
ceeded two  or  three  days  in  duration. 

•j-Tbis  was  at  the  home  of  Geeting,  in  Washington  County,  Maryland. 
Geeting  lived  on  the  Little  Antietam,  about  a  mile  from  where  it  empties 
into  the  Large  Antietam.  It  was  near  by,  on  the  Large  Antietam,  that  thfl 
battle  of  Antietam,  in  the  late  war,  was  fought. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIX.  245 

were  always  held  at  Whitsuntide,  and  which  he 
almost  invariably  attended. 

"1797.  June  3d.  This  day  the  sacramental 
meeting  commenced  at  or  near  the  Antietam. 
Even  at  the  beginning  the  Lord  was  present  in 
power.  In  the  evening  we  held  a  prayer-meeting 
at  brother  Samuel  Baker's.  Several  brethren  from 
Baltimore  were  present.  We  had  an  excellent 
time. — 4th,  Sunday.  This  afternoon  William  Ot- 
terbein  preached  from  Eph.  ii.  1-6.  Oh,  how  con- 
clusively did  he  reason!  How  did  he  endeavor  to 
persuade  his  hearers  to  work  out  the  salvation  of 
their  souls!  How  did  he  endeavor  to  convince 
all  of  the  necessity  of  vital,  experimental  religion, 
and  a  thorough  change  of  heart!  The  congrega- 
tion of  people  was  unusually  large,  and  all  seemed 
to-  pay  the  most  profound  attention.  Poor  un- 
worthy me  had  to  exhort  after  him.  Then  Otter- 
bein  and  Geeting  administered  the  Lord's-supper. 
Brother  Troxel  preached  in  the  afternoon. — 5th. 
This  day  we  had  an  exceedingly  glorious  time. 
A  great  number,  both  of  males  and  females, 
young  people  and  hoary-headed  sinners,  were  con- 
victed, and  some  happily  converted  to  God." 

"1798.  May  26th  and  27th  we  had  a  sacra- 
mental meeting  at  the  Antietam.  Brothers  Otter- 
bein,  Geeting,  Grosh,  Senseny,  and  myself  were 
present.  Honor  and  praise  be  to  God  for  all  his 
mercies.     It  surely  was  a  warm  time." 


246  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

"  1799.  May  11th.  I  attended  a  sacramental 
meeting  at  the  Antietam.  Wm.  Otterbein  deliv- 
ered the  first  discourse.  Oh,  what  a  wonderful 
man  he  is  to  preach  and  declare  the  counsel  of 
God. — 12th.  This  morning  we  had  our  love-feast, 
or  professing  meeting.  Wm.  Otterbein  preached 
again  with  such  power  and  unction  from  on  high 
that  all  present  were  very  much  astonished.  0 
Lord,  grant  that  the  word  spoken  may  bring 
forth  fruit  unto  eternal  life.  Otterbein  and  Geet- 
ing  administered  the  sacrament,  and  we  had  a 
blessed  time  on  the  occasion.'' 

"1799.  September  27th.  Rode  to  Peter  Kemp's, 
where  I  was  rejoiced  to  see  Father  William 
Otterbein.  Several  neighbors  collected  in  the 
evening,  and  we  had  a  delightful  little  meeting. 
— 28th.  This  morning  we  set  oft*  together  for 
a  two-days'  meeting  at  Mr.  J.  D.  Bishop's,  on 
Fishing  Creek.  Father  Otterbein  preached  first, 
then  John  Neidig.  We  had  a  blessed  time. — 
Sunday  29th.  This  day  an  extraordinary  num- 
ber of  people  attended  the  meeting.  Otterbein 
preached  with  great  energy  and  power;  so  did 
some  of  the  other  brethren. 

"1800.  May  31st,  To-day  I  set  out  for  the 
quarterly  or  great  meeting,  as  it  is  generally 
called,  at  the  Antietam.  Father  Otterbein  was 
there  and  preached  first,  from  Psalms  cxviii.  22  - 


LIFE   OF   OTTEREEIN.  247 

25.  At  night  I  spoke  from  Acts  xiv.  22.— Sunday, 
June  1st.  This  morning  we  had  our  love-feast. 
On  account  of  a  heavy  rain  we  could  not  have 
public  preaching,  as  usual,  under  the  trees.  The 
meeting-house  could  not  hold  half  the  people  col- 
lected. Preparations  were  quickly  made  to  ac- 
commodate them  in  the  barn  of  old  Jacob  Hess. 
Otterbein  spoke  first;  I  spoke  after  him.  He  and 
Brother  Geeting  distributed  the  bread  and  wine. 
The  hearts  of  many  believers  and  spectators  were 
tendered.  *  *  *_ 3d.  To-day  I  arrived  at  Peter 
Kemp's,  where  I  found  Father  Otterbein.  Some 
people  were  collected.  I  had  to  preach  and  he 
spoke  after  me.— 4th.  This  day  we  had  a  meet- 
ing at  Fishing  Creek.  Otterbein  preached  with 
wonderful  power." 

Not  all  that  were  present  at  these  Antietam 
meetings,  at  which  Otterbein  was  present,  have 
even  at  this  time  gone  to  their  long  home.  The 
writer  last  year  heard  from  living  lips  the  account 
of  these  glorious  seasons.  The  children  were  told 
to  hurry  and  get  their  work  done,  as  there  was  to 
be  a  great  meeting  and  Father  Otterbein  was 
coming.  When,  from  any  cause,  the  meeting  was 
to  be  held  in  the  church,  the  children  were  left  at 
home,  to  give  room  for  older  people.  Frequently 
the  people  would  be  divided  up  and  meetings 
would  be  held  at  three  different  places.     At  this 


248  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIX. 

time  Otterbein  was  quite  old,  and  as  lie  was  quite 
bald,  lie  wore  his  study-cap  under  his  hat,  and 
when  sitting  on  the  platform  in  the  grove  he 
would  remove  his  hat,  hut  still  wear  the  cap.  On 
rising  to  speak,  however,  he  took  off  the  cap, 
and  is  still  remembered  as  sometimes  hanging  it 
on  the  branch  of  an  overhanging  tree.*  The 
great  power  and  sweetness  of  the  gospel  as  it  fell 
from  the  lips  of  Geeting  is  also  a  cherished  mem- 
ory. Down  to  the  present  time,  the  great  meet- 
ings at  Antietam,  now  Keedysville,  though  modi- 
fied somewhat  of  late,  have  been  regularly  held. 

Mr.  Otterbein  made  frecpient  visits  to  different 
places  in  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  as  well  as  in 
Maryland.  Even  before  1800  he  established  Sun- 
day-schools and  prayer- meetings  in  connection 
with  these  extended  labors.  When  he  was  absent 
from  Baltimore  on  his  preaching-tours  his  place 
was  filled  by  some  one  of  the  preachers  already 
prominently  mentioned. 

While  he  did  not  find  a  place  in  the  Reformed 
Church  for  the  work  that  he  felt  himself  called 
to  do,  and  while  he  met  with  great  oppositions 
and  trials  from  that  source,  he  was  not  without 
friends  and  sympathizers  in  that  church.  On  his 
part,  he  not  only  returned  the  measure  of  syrnpa- 

*At  a  still  later  time  he  kept  the  stndy-cap  on  while  preaching,  even 
when  preaching  in  his  church.  There  are  yet  living  instanced  cf  tl::* 
custom. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  249 

thy  received,  but  continued  to  love  and  seek  to 
benefit  those  that  resisted  his  desires  and  efforts. 
At  different  times  he  showed  his  Christian  spirit, 
and  his  love  for  his  ancestral  church,  by  declaring 
the  gospel,  when  opportunities  were  afforded  him, 
from  Reformed  pulpits,  and  by  affording  his  pres- 
ence on  various  occasions.  In  1796,  at  the  laying 
of  the  corner-stone  of  the  Second- Street  Reformed 
Church,  after  a  sermon  by  the  pastor,  Rev.  Trolde- 
nier,  whom  Otterbein  esteemed,  the  latter  made 
a  short  address.  At  the  funeral  of  this  minister, 
in  1800,  Mr.  Otterbein  took  part.  Other  similar 
occasions  could  be  named.  His  part,  however, 
was  much  the  same  as  that  of  Mr.  Kurtz,  the 
Lutheran  minister  in  Baltimore,  who  participated 
at  different  times  in  the  same  meetings.  When 
in  1818  Dr.  Becker,  the  Reformed  pastor  in  Bal- 
timore, died,  Rev.  John  Snyder,  a  successor  of 
Mr.  Otterbein,  took  part  in  the  funeral  exercises. 
Mr.  Otterbein's  relations  to  Mr.  Asbury  and 
the  Methodists  continued  as  in  the  first  place  they 
began.  Mr.  Asbury  often  preached  in  his  church. 
At  the  Methodist  general  conference  of  1792,  the 
great  three-days'  debate  in  regard  to  Asbury's 
powers  in  stationing  the  preachers  was  brought 
to  a  close  at  an  evening  session  in  his  church.  In 
1786  Mr.  Asbury  made  the  following  note  in  his 
journal:     "I  called  on  Mr.  Otterbein.     We  had 


250  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

some  free  conversation  on  the  necessity  of  form- 
ing a  church  among  the  Dutch,  holding  confer- 
ences, the  order  of  its  government,  and  so  forth." 
The  conversation  on  a  "plan  of  church  -  disci- 
pline," already  referred  to,  had  reference  to  the 
local  church  at  Baltimore,  and  its  more  immediate 
surroundings.  The  present  conversation  meant 
much  more.  Mr.  Otterbein,  though  freely  con- 
versing with  Mr.  Asbury  on  this  important  sub- 
ject, was  far  from  passive  to  the  influence  of 
others.  Mr.  Schwope  and  Mr.  Weidner,  as  well 
as  Mr.  Asbury,  urged  Mr.  Otterbein  to  copy  from 
the  Methodist  plan;  but  Mr.  Otterbein  moved 
slowly,  and  sought  to  read  for  himself  the  divine 
will.  This  conversation  was  three  years  before 
the  conference  of  1789. 

The  aim  of  the  present  chapter  has  been  to 
cause  Mr.  Otterbein  to  stand  forth  in  his  own 
actual  environment.  It  will  generally  be  con- 
ceded that,  when  a  man  creates  largely  the  ele- 
ments that  make  his  sphere  what  it  is,  these  are 
closely  enough  connected  with  his  immediate  self 
to  deserve  a  recognition  in  an  account  of  his  life. 

The  history  of  Mr:  Otterbein's  life  has  now 
been  traced,  in  most  regards,  down  to  the  fall  of 
1800.  We  have  followed  him  through  years  of 
toil  and  agonizing  labor,  and  yet  it  scarcely  dawns 
upon  us  that  he  is  wearing  out  in  the  work — that 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  251 

he  is  even  now  a  veteran.  The  fact  of  his  dimin- 
ished power  to  labor  and  endure  is  seen  in  the 
following  entry,  for  the  year  1797,  in  the  Balti- 
more church-book:  «Wm.  Otterbein  saw  fit  to 
be  assisted  by  two  elders.  He  chose  Philip  Bier 
and  Christian  Matioth."  Of  the  three  original 
elders,  two  had  removed  from  Baltimore,  and 
their  places  seem  not  to  have  been  filled.  Peter 
Hoffman  still  held  his  place.  The  choosing,  in 
1797,  of  the  two  elders  meant  more  than  the  fill- 
ing of  vacant  places.  It  meant  that  the  services 
of  elders  were  needed,  in  view  of  Mr.  Otterbein's 
weight  of  years  and  the  necessary  demands  from 
abroad,  fco  relieve,  as  much  as  possible,  his  pas- 
toral bv  >den.  But  we  must  not  think  that  his 
lease  of  We  and  labor  was  at  the  point  of  ex- 
i>Hng. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

OTTERBEIN    AXD    THE   REFORMED   CHURCH. 

Want  of  Congeniality  —  Growing  Alienation — Condition  of 
the  German  Churches^— Various  Testimonies  —  Facts  in 
General  —  Wiry  some  Misunderstood  Otterbein  —  Otterbein's 
Twofold  Relation — Relation  on  the  Reformed  Side  Vanish- 
ing—  An  Incident  —  Geeting's  Expulsion  —  Synod  of  1806  — 
Another  Incident  —  Contrary  Testimonies  Examined  — 
Winters'  Testimony  —  Aurandt's  Testimony  —  The  two  Re- 
lations Incompatible — The  Responsibility — Statements  of 
Dr.  Benjamin  Kurtz,  Bishop  Asbury,  and  Dr.  Zacharias. 

T  seems  necessary,  at  this  point,  that  we 
look  with  some  carefulness  into  Mr.  Otter- 
bein's relations  to  the  Reformed  Church. 
From  the  time  that  he  attained  unto  a  full 
evangelical  experience,  during  his  period  at 
Lancaster,  he  met,  in  his  endeavors  to  reach  true 
spiritual  results  in  his  ministry,  with  difficulties 
and  discouragements  in  the  different  congregations 
that  he  served.  After  his  co-operation  with  con- 
verted ministers  outside  of  the  Reformed  Church, 
he  lost  sympathy  in  the  ranks  of  the  Reformed 
ministry.  When  he  went  to  Baltimore,  his  rela- 
tions became  decidedly  anomalous.  Though  he 
continued   a  member  of  the  ccetus,  he  served  a 

252 


lilFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  258 

congregation  whose  fundamental  character  was 
that  of  independence  of  the  Reformed  ccetus,  and 
whose  spirit  and  methods  were  utterly  unlike  any- 
thing existing  in  the  German  Reformed  Church. 
His  efforts,  already  spoken  of,  to  infuse  more  of 
an  evangelical  spirit  into  the  coetus  would  not 
regain  or  increase  to  him  the  go&d-will  of  the 
Reformed  ministry. 

As  early  as  1772,  through  his  immediate  agency, 
laymen  were  brought  into  the  work  of  preaching, 
and  after  the  war  of  the  Revolution  these  lay 
preachers  were  brought  into  close  co-operation 
with  other  preachers  that  had  been  led  into 
the  field  as  the  result  of  the  meeting  that  took 
place  at  Isaac  Long's.  Meantime  new  accessions 
had  been  made  to  the  preaching  force.  Otter- 
bein  and  Boehm  were  the  leaders.  In  1786  Mr. 
Otterbein  had  reached  a  point  at  which  he  was 
ready  to  engage  in  a  "  free  conversation"  as  to 
the  necessity  of  forming  a  church  among  the  Ger- 
mans. His  great  aims  were  to  secure  the  conver- 
sion of  the  people  and  to  build  up  a  spiritual 
church-membership.  The  methods  that  he  used 
and  encouraged  with  a  view  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  these  ends,  including  the  employment 
of  zealous  and  capable  converts  in  preaching,  and 
the  introduction  of  the  class-system  into  every 
community  where  there  were  awakened  and  con- 


254  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

verted  people,  were  the  occasion  of  liis  conflicts 
and  trials. 

It  would  be  pleasant  indeed  to  suppose  that  he 
did  not,  in  so  good  a  work,  meet  with  these  oppo- 
sitions; but  devout,  retiring,  conciliatory  raa:: 
that  he  was,  with  none  of  those  elements  that 
mark  men  that  desire  to  rule,  or  head  a  party, 
how  could  we  account,  except  on  the  ground  of 
the  most  serious  opposition,  for  even  his  slightest 
and  most  temporary  separations  from  those  in 
whose  fellowship  he  had  been  laboring. 

The  condition  of  the  German  churches,  as  de- 
scribed by  writers  in  those  churches  themselves, 
was  sufficiently  deplorable.  Dr.  Helfenstein,  of 
the  Reformed  Church,  gives  the  following  inci- 
dent, which  indicates  the  way  in  which  revivals 
were  regarded: 

"  In  the  year  1790,  my  father,  minister  in  Ger- 
mantown,  departed  this  life.  An  invitation  was 
sent  to  Rev.  Anthony  Hautz  to  visit  that  church. 
He  did  so.  They  gave  him  a  call.  He  accepted  it, 
returned  home,  and  shortly  afterward  gave  them 
notice  that  he  declined  it.  The  reason  he  gave 
was,  that  if  the  Rev.  Helfenstein  had  his  difficul- 
ties in  the  congregation,  how  could  he  be  able  to 
manage  them?  The  difficulties  were  the  prayer- 
meetings  that  were  at  that  time  introduced  into 
the  congregation.    There  was  then  a  great  revival 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  255 

in  the  church.  Numbers  were  awakened,  and 
met  together  in  prayer-meetings.  To  this  there 
was  great  opposition,  and  much  commotion  was 
caused  in  the  congregation." 

Dr.  Xeviiij  of  the  same  church,  in  his  twenty- 
eighth  lecture  on  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  pub- 
lished in  1842,  gives  the  following  statements  in 
regard  to  the  early  condition  of  the  Reformed 
Church:  "  To  be  confirmed  and  then  to  take  the 
sacrament  occasionally  was  counted  by  the  mul- 
titude all  that  was  necessary  to  make  one  a  good 
Christian,  if  only  a  tolerable  decency  of  outward 
life  were  maintained  besides,  without  any  regard 
at  all  to  the  religion  of  the  heart.  True,  serious 
piety  was  indeed  often  treated  with  open  and 
marked  scorn.  In  the  bosom  of  the  church  itself 
it  was  stigmatized  as  Schwaermerei,  Kojrfhaenge- 
rei*  or  miserable  driveling  Methodism.  The 
idea  of  the  new  birth  was  treated  as  a  Pietistic 
whimery.  Experimental  religion,  in  all  its  forms, 
was  eschewed  as  a  new-fangled  invention  of  cun- 
ning impostors,  brought  in  to  turn  the  heads  of 
the  weak,  and  to  lead  captive  silly  women. 
Prayer- meetings  were  held  to  be  a  spiritual  abom- 
ination. Family  worship  was  a  species  of  saintly 
affectation,  barely  tolerable  in  the  case  of  minis- 

*  Favorite  epithets  were  "Strabblers"  and  "Knierutscher,"  the  latter  be- 
ing applied  to  Otterbein's  Baltimore  congregation. 


256  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

ters  (though  many  of  them  gloried  in  having  no 
altar  in  their  houses),  but  absolutely  disgraceful 

for  common  Christians.  To  show  an  awakened 
concern  on  the  subject  of  religion,  a  disposition 
to  call  on  God  in  daily  secret  prayer,  was  to  incur 
certain  reproach.  *  *  *  The  picture,  it  must 
be  acknowledged,  is  dark,  but  not  more  so  than 
the  truth  of  history  would  seem  to  require." 

The  above  description  was  not  given  in  the 
interest  of  "  sects,"  as  further  statements  in  the 
same  lecture  show.  After  speaking  of  the  losses 
from  the  German  Reformed  Church  to  the  Pres- 
byterians and  others,  Dr.  Kevin  says,  "  With  the 
vast  inroads  that  have  been  made  on  our  territory 
by  ranting  and  fanatical  sects,  of  different  names, 
we  have  less  reason  to  be  pleased.  Specially 
noticeable  under  this  character  are  two  forms  of 
religious  exorbitation  that  started  forth  originally 
from  the  Reformed  Church  itself,  and  have  since 
acquired  very  considerable  volume,  made  up  in 
great  measure  of  German  material,  though  not 
all  gathered  from  the  Reformed  connection.  Ot- 
terbein  of  Baltimore,  at  a  comparatively  early 
period  (1789),  became  the  founder  of  one  of  these 
organizations.  In  the  first  instance,  he  was  a 
good  man  who  seems  to  have  been  driven  into  a 
false  position  by  the  cold,  dead  temper  that  he 
found  generally  prevalent  in  the  regular  church." 
He  then  speaks  of  the  movement  begun  by  Wine- 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  257 

brenner  as  originating  "  with  less  purity  of  inten- 
tion." 

Dr.  Benjamin  Kurtz,  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
in  the  Lutheran  Observer  of  January  12th,  1855,. 
says,  "  Some  thirty-five  years  ago,  when  God  in 
his  mercy  sanctioned  our  labors  with  a  glorious 
outpouring  of  his  Spirit,  and  for  the  first  time  in 
our  ministry  granted  us  a  mighty  revival,  the 
opposition  of  the  world  and  the  devil  was  almost 
unparalleled.  A  revival  in  the  Lutheran  Church 
was  a  new  thing  in  that  day.  We  had  never 
heard  of  but  one,  and  that  was  in  Bro.  Reek's 
church  in  Winchester,  Virginia.  He  can  testify 
to  the  bitterness,  malevolence,  and  awful  wicked- 
ness that  characterized  the  adversaries  of  such 
divine  visitations,  in  those  days  of  ignorance, 
hardness  of  heart,  and  spiritual  blindness." 

The  slowness  to  understand  and  to  fall  in  with 
what  some  truly  saw  to  be  the  duty  of  the  hour,  is 
not  the  reproach  of  the  German  churches  alone, 
but  is  to  be  set  down  to  the  blindness  of  all  the 
old  churches  of  the  period.*  The  Congregation- 
s-Many of  the  representatives  of  these  old  churches  are  now  commend- 
ably  active  in  revival-work;  and  the  tenacity  with  which  they  adhere  to 
Bible  truth  in  forming  anew  the  divine  impress  upon  the  heart,  and  their 
unswerving  application  of  biblical  rule  to  spiritual  experience  and  outward 
life  will  do  much  to  protract  the  day  of  revivals  down  to  the  distant  future. 
These  things  being  thus,  would  it  not  be  sad  if  those  that  call  themselves 
in  a  special  sense  the  children  of  Otterbein  should  now  allow  tiJQmselve." 
to  be  outstripped  in  the  work  of  gathering  the  spiritual  harvest? 


258  LiFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

alists  honor  Jonathan  Edwards,  bat  they  do  not 
seek  to  extenuate  the  treatment  that  he  received. 
The  cause  of  his  difficulties,  too,  was,  in  a  large 
sense,  his  views  of  church-membership  and  his 
'connection  with  revivals.  In  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  the  Tennants  were  "  secretly  despised  by 
the  synod  generally;"  and  in  1741  the  synod 
wrote,  "We  excluded  the  four  Tennants,  Blair,  and 
others."  Mr.  Erskine  was  "hated"  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church  in  Scotland.  Yet  to-day  the 
Presbyterian  Church  records  all  of  these  names 
in  the  lists  of  her  worthies.  The  Episcopal 
Church  of  England  acknowledges  the  mistreat^ 
nient  that  it  so  liberally  bestowed  upon  John 
Wesley.  Joseph  Cook  says  that  the  great  con- 
tribution that  American  Christianity  has  made  to 
the  churches  of  Europe  is  the  presenting  of  a 
method  for  efficient  revival-work,  Europe  per- 
haps thinks  that  it  cost  America  nothing  to 
develop  and  mature  such  a  plan. 

Some  in  the  Reformed  ministry  sympathized 
with  Mr.  Otterbein  and  his  work.  Others,  who 
themselves  may  have  been  good  men,  doubted  the 
propriety  of  the  methods  used  by  him,  and  per- 
haps had  their  doubts  as  to  the  character  of  the 
results  attained.  Connected  with  the  very  high- 
est efforts  and  highest  products  of  Christianity 
there  have  been  specious  counterfeits  and  serious 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  258 

abuses.     Ages  of  spiritual  quickening  have  aiso 
been  ages  of  imposture  and  grotesque  combina- 
tions.    But  these  developments  do  not  condemn 
such   quickenings   themselves.      Luther   said   to 
some  that  had  suddenly  outgrown  the  conditions 
of  healthful  spiritual    life,  and    that  alleged  the 
Spirit  as  their  guide,  "I  slap  your   spirit  on  the 
snout."      The  language  was  not  particularly  se- 
vere for  Luther  to  use,  and  not  too  severe  to  he 
applied   to   some   people   in    more   recent  times. 
John  Wesley,  when  troubled  by  the  caprice  of 
those  that  took  their  own  uncertain  impulses  for 
the  Spirit's  promptings,  and  whom  he  called  mys- 
tics, using  the  term  mystic  in  its  least  favorable 
sense,  spoke  as  follows:     "All  other  enemies  of 
Christianity  are  triflers;  the  mystics  are  the  most 
dangerous.     They  stab  it  in   the  vitals,  and  its 
most  serious  professors  are  most  likely  to  fall  by 
them."     Asbury   said   that   « diabolical    impres- 
sions may  sometimes  resemble  those  made  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,"  an,!  that  «  all  impressions,  dreams, 
visions,  and  so  forth,  should  be  brought  to  th 
standard  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  if  they  do 
not  perfectly  correspond  therewith,  they  should 
be   rejected."      Mr.    Otterbein    recognized  these 
perils  as  clearly  as  any  one,  and  sought  the  au- 
thorization, producing  cause,  and  rule  for  spirit- 
ual  exercises  beyond  and  far  above  the  deceitful 


260  3kt££  OF  OTIEElSSJiJ- 

sphere  of  the  human  heart.  Some  of  hi3  fellov, 
ministers  did  not  care  to  understand  his  aims,  or 
the  necessity  and  warrant  for  his  measures.  They 
only  knew  that  his  zeal  reproached  their  indo- 
lence, and  his  spiritual  preaching  their  formal 
notions. 

Our  affirming  or  denying  in  regard  to  Mr.  Ot> 
terbein  and  his  co-laborers  forming  a  church  at 
the  conference  of  1789  depends  much  on  the  no- 
tion that  Ave  have  of  what  constitutes  a  church. 
The  preaching  of  God's  word  in  an  evangelical 
sense,  the  administering  of  the  ordinances,  and 
the  exercise  of  discipline,  the  marks  by  which 
some  identify  a  church,  were  certainly  not  want- 
ing. A  confession  of  faith,  the  perpetuation  of 
the  ministry,  and  the  perpetuation  of  a  class  of 
ministers  authorized  to  administer  the  sacraments 
would  seem  to  supply  anything  that  might  be  re- 
quired in  order  to  make  a  valid  case.  An  evidence 
that  seems  to  be  against  the  idea  of  a  church  thus 
and  at  that  time  formed  is  the  fact  that  Mr.  Otter- 
bein's  name  appears  in  the  lists  of  those  present 
at  the  sessions  of  the  Reformed  synod  in  1791, 
1797,  1800,  and  1806.  Of  the  nature  of  his  at- 
tendance in  1791,  1797,  and  1800  we  know  little. 
In  regard  to- his  attendance  in  1806,  we  know  that 
his  name  ought  not  to  be  included.  Xot  taking 
into  account  this  instance,  then,  his  attendance  at 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  2fil 

the  sessions  of  the  synod  in  the  last  twenty-three 
years  of  his  life  would  stand,  present  three  times 
during  the  first  ten  years,  and  during  the  last 
thirteen  years,  or  after  the  important  United 
Brethren  conference  of  1800,  never  present.  It 
seems,  however,  that  Mr.  Otterbein  did  sustain  a 
double  relation.  As  to  which  relation  was  the 
nominal  one,  only  now  and  then  rising  to  some- 
thing like  reality,  and  which  relation  was  the 
virtual  one,  only  now  and  then  confronted  by  ap- 
parent contradiction,  the  entire  chain  of  events 
hereafter  described  will  indicate. 

After  Mr.  Otterbein  became  pastor  of  an  inde- 
pendent congregation  he  could  at  no  time,  in  a 
practical  sense,  be  considered  a  full  member  of 
the  synod;  but  the  extent  to  which  he  continued 
his  connection  was,  as  an  incident  or  two  will 
show,  a  matter  of  offense  to  his  opponents  in  the 
synod.  At  a  comparatively  early  time,  as  a  Mr. 
GL  was  returning  from  a  session  of  the  synod, 
he  was  met  by  one  of  his  parishioners,  a  bitter 
enemy  of  revivals,  when  the  following  conversa- 
tion passed: 

P.    "  Well,  what  have  you  done  with  Mr.  0.?  " 
S.    "Oh,  nothing — nothing  at  all." 
P.    "Nothing!     Why  did  you  not  throw  hirr 
over  the  fence?" 
S.    "  Ah !  he  was  too  heavv  for  us." 


262  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

We  now  come  to  the  expulsion  of  Mr.  Geeting 
in  1804.  Mr.  Geeting  had  not  been  present  at 
the  synod  since  1797.  On  motion  of  Rev.  Chris- 
tian L.  Becker  that  he  he  expelled  from  the  synod 
u  without  delay,"  he  was  forthwith  expelled-  His 
offense  was  the  same  as  Mr.  Otterbein'ts —  not 
greater,  not  different.  Mr.  Otterbein  paid  no 
respect  to  the  action  of  the  synod.  At  the  session 
of  the  United  Brethren  conference  in  the  fall  of 
1804,  after  this  expulsion  took  place,  Otterbein 
and  Geeting  were  both  absent  on  account  of  the 
prevailing  "great  sickness  and  mortality."  In 
1805  they  were  together  at  the  conference,  and 
subsequently  their  relations  were  close  and  un- 
broken. While  their  spheres  of  work  were  some- 
what different,  and  while,  in  slight  respects  they 
may  have  differed  in  the  character  of  their  work, 
Mr.  Otterbein 's  approval  was  ever  upon  the  zeal 
and  labors  of  Mr.  Geeting. 

The  list  of  ministers  present  at  the  session  of 
the  synod  of  1806  includes,  without  good  reason, 
as  already  said,  the  name  of  Mr.  Otterbein.  Not- 
withstanding the  synod  that  year  met  in  Balti- 
more, Mr.  Otterbein  did  not  present  himself  at 
the  session  until  requested  to  do  so  by  a  special 
committee.  The  account  of  this  last  visit  to  the 
synod,  as  given  by  Mr.  Lawrence,  is  as  follows: 

"Bending  under  the  weight  of  fo nr-score  years, 


UFE    OF   OTTERBEIN,  263 

and  leaning  upon  a  long  staff,  which  he  carried 
to  support  him,  he  went  with  the  committee. 
When  he  arrived,  an  opportunity  was  given  him 
to  speak.  He  arose  and  addressed  the  synod  in 
a  most  feeling  manner,  and  strove  to  impress  the 
minds  of  the  ministers  present  with  the  impor- 
tance of  experimental  religion, — of  the  new  birth, 
and  the  great  necessity  of  preaching  it  to  the 
people  distinctly  and  plainly,  as  men  who  must 
give  account  to  God.  After  he  had  taken  hh 
seat,  Mr.  Becker,  who,  about  that  time,  assumed 
the  pastoral  charge  of  the  German  Reformed 
church  in  Baltimore,  arose  and  opposed  the  views 
he  had  advanced,  and  answered  him  roughly. 
Mr.  0.  heard  him  through  with  his  accustomed 
meekness,  and  then,  taking  his  cane  and  hat,  he 
hid  the  preachers  fareAvell,  bowed,  and  retired 
never  to  return  again."  His  last  words  to  the 
members  of  the  synod  were,  "  Good-by,  brethren 
(Adieu*  Brueder)." 

Following  upon  this  scene  on  the  floor  of  the 
synod,  either  in  1806  or  1807,  we  have  the  follow- 
ing occurrence  and  conversation:  In  company 
with  a  Mr.  Schwatkee,  a  member  of  his  vestry,  Mr. 
Otterbein  was  on  a  visit  to  Old  Town.  While  in 
the  Falls  bridge  they  met  Rev.  Christian  L. 
Becker,  who    after  offering   Mr.  Otterbein  some 

*Kol  the  English,  but  the  French  pronunciation  —  dd-yd. 


264  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

cold  civilities,  interrogated  him  thus  :  "  Will 
you  persist  in  your  conduct,  holding  schtvaermer 
versammlungen  (fanatical  meetings)?  Mr.  Otter- 
bein  meekly  replied  that  he  would  continue  his 
course.  Becker  continued,  "  The  synod  will  cer- 
tainly exclude  you.  I  am  determined  to  have 
you  expelled.  We  can  not  suffer  such  wicked 
fanaticism  among  us."  (Wir  koennen  solche  heilose 
Schwaermerei  water  tins  nicht  dulden.)  Otterbein 
replied,  "The  synod  is  too  late;  the  exclusion  is 
past,"  As  they  separated  Otterbein  exclaimed, 
"  0  welche  Blindhcit, — Oh  what  blindness!" 

The  testimony  most  relied  on  to  show  that  Mr. 
Otterbein's  full  connection  with  the  German  lie- 
formed  Church  was  unbroken  from  first  to  last  is 
that  of  Thomas  Winters,  a  minister  that  was  at 
first  associated  with  Mr.  Otterbein  and  his  co-labor- 
ers, and  that  afterward  became  a  regular  minister 
in  the  Reformed  Church.  Let  us  notice  his  testi- 
mony. The  following  is  an  extract  from  his  tes- 
timony as  taken  down  a  few  years  before  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1863,  by  Rev.  P.  C. 
Prugh,  "  at  the  special  request  of  Dr.  Harbaugh." 
"  During  this  time  [between  1809  and  1814]  I 
was  strongly  urged  to  go  into  the  organization 
of  a  new  church,  called  the  United  Brethren  in 
Christ,  which  was  then  in  process  of  formation, 
and  which  did  actually  come  into  being;  but  like 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  265 

die  great  Otterbein  whom  I  greatly  loved  and 
esteemed  for  his  piety  and  talents,  I  preferred 
rather  to  live  and  die  in  the  Reformed  Church." 
If  Mr.  Winters'  relations  before  1814  were  the 
same  as  those  of  Mr.  Otterbein,  it  will  be  of  in- 
terest to  find  out  what  those  relations  were.  In 
1799  Mr.  Winters  received  from  Mr.  Otterbein 
and  his  co-laborers  license  to  preach.  He  contin- 
ued to  preach  in  Maryland  on  the  authority  of 
this  license  until  1809,  when  he  became  settled  in 
Ohio.  Here  his  zeal  and  diligence  continued  un- 
diminished. When  the  first  United  Brethren  con- 
ference was  formed  in  Ohio,  in  1810,  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  it,  and  was  present  at  the  first  session.  In 
1812  he  was  one  of  those  that  "willingly  gave  them- 
selves to  travel."  The  same  year  he  and  Daniel 
Troy er  were  sent  as  fraternal  delegates  to  the  Meth- 
odist conference  at  Chilicothe.  In  1813  he  and 
Henry  Evinger  reported  that  they  had  formed  a 
"  circuit  consisting  of  forty-seven  appointments, 
and  that  many  other  places  requested  preaching." 
He  received  as  salary  one  hundred  and  thirty- two 
dollars  and  six  cents,  besides  a  small  dividend  from 
two  other  sources,  with  a  slight  "  advance  "  pay- 
ment. During  the  first  part  of  the  next  year  he 
and  Mr.  Evinger  again  labored  on  "  Twin  Cir- 
cuit," and  during  this  time  made  considerable 
progress  in  collecting  a  volume  of  German  hymns 


266  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

for  the  use  of  the  United  Brethren.  In  the 
spring  of  1814  he  made  a  visit  to  Maryland,  and 
was  present  at  the  session  of  the  old  United 
Brethren  conference,  which  met  May  24th  of  that 
year.  It  was  at  this  session  that  the  Baltimore 
congregation  made  its  report  of  the  death  of  Mr. 
Otterbein,  and  at  which  his  first  regular  successor 
was  appointed.  After  Mr.  Winters  had  com- 
pleted his  visit  in  Maryland  he  returned  to 
Ohio,  and  was  present  at  the  conference  that  met 
August  23d,  at  Andrew  Zeller's,  near  German  - 
town.  From  some  cause  he  had  determined  to 
seek  admission  to  the  ministry  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church.  The  minutes  of  the  confer- 
ence of  1814  say,  "Brother  Winters  declared 
that  he,  from  this  time  forth,  would  not  belong 
to  the  brotherhood,*  and  was  dismissed  (entlas- 
sen)."  To  most  persons  it  will  be  sufficiently 
apparent  that  in  1814  Mr.  Winters  made  a  radical 
change  from  the  course  that  he  had  hitherto 
pursued. 

Mr.  John  Dietrich  Aurandt,  who  received 
license  in  the  same  way  as  did  Mr.  Winters,  and 
about  the  same  time,  is  likewise  often  referred  to 
as  indicating  by  his  course  the  relations  of  Mr. 
Otterbein.    What,  then,  was  his  course?     In  1800 

*  The  word  church,  even  at  this  day,  does  not  form  a  part  of  the  namo 
of  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ.  The  term  is  also  wanting  in  the  names 
of  some  other  denominations. 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  267 

he  was  present  at  the  conference  of  the  United 
Brethren.     In  1801  he  sought  "  examination  and 
ordination  of  the  Reformed  synod."      Hereupon 
the  synod,  among  other  directions,  directed  that 
he  should   abstain   from  "  attending    on    the  so- 
called    '  big  meetings.'  "     He  seemed  reluctant  to 
make  the  separation   required  of  him,  and  was 
again  present  at  the  conference  of  1802.     On  the 
authority  of  his  license,  he  continued  to  preach 
for  some  time;  but  in  1806  he  again  made  appli- 
cation to  the  synod,  and  received  license  for  one 
year.     But  while  the  synod  was  dissatisfied  with 
him  on  account  of  his  connection  with  the  United 
Brethren,  the  conference  of  the  United  Brethren 
was  no  less  dissatisfied  with  him  because  of  his 
course    before   the    synod.     The  minutes  of  the 
conference  of   1803,  which   were  signed   by  Mr. 
Otterbein,  contain  the  following:      "Complaints 
were  presented    against    D.  Aurandt.      Brothers 
Snyder  and  Neidig  were  appointed  to  investigate 
the  matter.*'      The  conference  of   1807  declared 
that  "  for  the  present "  they  would  "  have  nothing 
to  do  with  Dietrich  Aurandt."      It  was  during" 
this  same  period  that  the  conference  resolved  to 
have  nothing  to  do  with  J.  G.  Pfrimmer,  whose 
relations  to  the  German  Reformed  Church  Avere 
similar   to    those   of   Mr.  Aurandt,  though    Mr. 
Pfrimmer  "again  received  permission  to  preach" 
from  the  conference  of  1805. 


268  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

From  these  facts  it  is  apparent  that  even  at  this 
early  day  the  double  relation  that  before  1789  or 
1800  was  entered  into  on  the  one  side  and  con- 
nived at  on  the  other  came  to  be  looked  upon  as 
in  itself  incompatible.  If  Mr.  Otterbein  and  those 
that  with  him  had  stood  in  the  Reformed  Church 
were  unfaithful  to  the  true  mission  and  demands 
of  the  church,  they  should  be  held  responsible. 
If  the  Reformed  Church,  as  represented  by  its 
synod,  had  been  unfaithful  to  the  mission  of  the 
church  and  the  call  of  the  hour,  it  should  bear  its 
responsibility.  Whatever  might  be  the  decision 
on  this  point,  practical  connection  with  both  sides 
was  now  out  of  the  question.*  The  proceedings 
of  the  synod  indicate  more  of  a  knowledge  of  the 
"  big  meetings  "  than  of  the  conference  of  the 
United  Brethren;  and  these  meetings  were  there- 
fore made  to  mark  the  antagonism.  The  moment 
was  reached  when  neither  party  could  afford  to 
have  its  acts  discredited  or  negatived  by  the  course 
of  the  other  party.  If  any  blame  must  be  charged, 
it  must  fall  principally  to  an  earlier  period.  There 
might  be  vacillation  on  the  part  of  a  few,  as  in 
the  case  of  J.  G.  Pfrimmer  and  D.  Aurandt,  one 
of  whom  went  one  way  and  one  the  other;  or 
there  might  be  an  after-change  from  one  side  to 

*  In  reference  to  the  expulsion  of  Geeting,  Dr.  Dubbs  speaks  as  follows: 
"We  can  hardly  resist  the  conclusion  that  Geeting  expected  this  actisar 
and  did  not  desire  it  to  be  different." 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  269 

the  other,  as  in  the  case  of  Thomas  Winters;  but 
none  that  had  heen  longer  or  more  profoundly  in 
the  religious  movement  were  ignorant  of  their 
true  position  and  proper  alliances.  It  is  not 
meant,  however,  that  Mr.  Otterbein  and  his  asso- 
ciates became  freed  from  temporary  misgivings, 
that  they  ceased  to  turn  with  burdened  hearts 
toward  the  churches  of  their  fathers,  or  that  they 
became  indifferent  to  the  way  in  which  they,  in 
their  reputation  and  influence  for  good,  were  made 
to  suffer. 

On  the  statement  to  the  effect  that  Otterbein 
never  intended  to  found  a  new  "  sect,"  it  is  unnec- 
essary to  dwell.  All  this  is  readily  admitted,  ami 
much  more.  But  what  he  did  not  intend  as  to 
the  raising  up  of  a  new  denomination,  Providence 
brought  about,  and  coming  to  recognize  a  higher- 
purpose  than  his  own,  he  did  not  place  himself 
athwart  it.  It  is  also  granted  that  in  consequence 
of  some  facts  in  Mr.  Otterbein's  connections  being 
more  or  less  hidden  from  general  view,  statements 
have  been  by  some  innocently  made  as  to  Mr. 
Otterbein's  course  that  are  nevertheless  far  from 
tenable. 

Dr.  Benjamin  Kurtz  has  left  the  following  tes- 
timony as  to  the  light  in  which  Mr.  Otterbein 
was  viewed  by  the  public:  "During  the  latter 
part  of  his  life  he  was  no  longer  regarded  as  a 


270  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

minister  of  the  German  Reformed  Church."  Dr. 
Benjamin  Kurtz  went  to  Baltimore  in  1815,  as 
the  assistant  of  his  uncle,  Dr.  J.  D.  Kurtz,  who 
as  the  pastor  of  the  Lutheran  church  in  Balti- 
more was  twenty  -  seven  years  a  most  intimate 
friend   of  Mr.  Otterbein. 

Mr.  Asbury's  testimony  in  reference  to  the 
German  fathers,  and  especially  Otterbein,  given 
in  1812,  while  Mr.  Otterbein  was  yet  living,  was 
as  follows:  "  Pre-eminent  among  these  is  Will- 
iam Otterbein,  who  assisted  in  the  ordination 
which  set  apart  your  speaker  to  the  superintend- 
eney  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Will- 
iam Otterbein  was  regularly  ordained  to  the 
ministry  in  the  German  Presbyterian  Church. 
He  is  one  of  the  best  scholars  and  greatest  divines 
in  America.  Why,  then,  is  he  not  where  he 
began?  He  was  irregular.  Alas,  for  us!  the 
zealous  are  necessarily  so  to  those  whose  cry  is, 
'  Put  me  into  the  priest's  office,  that  I  may  eat  a 
morsel  of  bread.'  Osterwald  has  observed,  '  Hell 
is  paved  with  the  skulls  of  unfaithful  ministers." 
Such  was  not  Boehm,  such  is  not  Otterbein;  and 
now  his  sun  of  life  is  setting  in  brightness.  Be- 
hold the  saint  of  God  leaning  upon  his  staff,  wait- 
ing for  the  chariots  of  Israel!  " 

A  statement  of  Dr.  Zacharias,  pastor  at  Fred- 
erick City,  Maryland,  from  1835  to  1873,  give*  to 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN".  271 

Mr.  Otterbein,  from  a  candid  Reformed  stand- 
point, his  proper  position.  After  saying  that  "  he 
became  the  founder  of  the  sect  of  the  United 
Brethren,"  he  added,  "  but  he  was  never  separated 
formally  from  the  German  Reformed  Church." 
In  some  historical  sermons  preached  by  Dr.  Har- 
baugh,  this  latter  statement  is  identically  repeated. 
But  while  it  is  allowed  that  he  was  never  form- 
ally separated  from  the  Reformed  Church,  the 
reader  will  see  in  the  account  of  his  last  years,  as 
given  in  the  following  pages,  in  what  direction 
his  real  relations  lay. 

It  has  been  far  from  pleasant  to  the  writer  to 
dwell  so  long  on  these  disputed  points,  but  as 
assertions  contrary  to  what  he  fully  believes  to  be 
the  facts  as  to  Mr.  Otterbein's  relations  are  con- 
tinually being  made,  on  what  seems  to  him  little 
other  or  better  ground  than  the  retention  of  Mr. 
Otterbein's  name  on  the  roll  of  the  synod,  he  has 
deemed  it  necessary  to  show  the  fallaciousness  of 
the  assumptions  put  forward.  Nothing  begets 
worse  feelings  than  an  "  it  is  "  met  by  an  "  it  is 
not."  If  the  writer  has  erred,  in  any  respect,  he 
trusts  that  in  the  facts  here  given  his  readers  will 
find  such  materials  as  will  assist  them  in  forming 
for  themselves  a  correct  opinion.  The  positive 
evidence  as  to  Mr.  Otterbein's  relations  lies  not 
so  much  in  what  any  one  has  said  of  him,  as  in 
the  whole  tenor  of  his  later  course. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

OTTERBEIN    AND    THE    UNITED    BRETHREN. 

The  year  1800  —  Newcomer's  Account  of  the  Conference  — 
Names  of  Preachers — Preface  to  the  Minutes— The  Min- 
utes of  1800— The  Election  of  Bishops— Conference  of  1801— 
Minutes  of  1802— Minutes  of  1805  — The  State  of  the  Work 
—  Otterbein's  Preaching  at  Conferences  and  Big  Meetings  — 
Otterbein  Sick  —  Partial  Recovery. 

^HE  year  1800  was  full  of  events,  as  well 
as  replete  with  interest.  May  12th  Mr. 
Otterbein  was  present  at  the  Reformed 
Sf.  synod,  for,  properly  speaking,  the  last  time, 
f  May  31st  he  was  present  at  the  great  meet- 
ing at  the  Antietam.  Following  this  meeting, 
Mr.  Newcomer  met  "Father  Otterbein,"  on  June 
3d,  at  Peter  Kemp's.  It  was  at  this  place  that, 
on  the  twenty-fifth  of  the  following  September, 
the  first  conference  in  the  regular  series  of  an- 
nual conferences  was  to  be  held.  The  place  is 
two  and  one  fourth  miles  west  of  Frederick  City. 
Maryland.  The  house  of  Peter  Kemp  was  a  large 
stone  house,  and  is  still  a  firm  and  comfortable 
dwelling.  While  Mr.  Kemp  was  likely  engaged 
to  some  extent  m  preaching  at  this  time,  he  was 
ii ot  a  regularly  recognized  preacher. 
272 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  278 

We  can  not  do  better  than  to  take  our  first 
glimpse  of  the  conference  of  1800  through  the 
following  from  Newcomer's  journal:  "25th. 
This  morning  we  set  out  early;  came  to  Bro.  Pe- 
ter Kemp's,*  where  the  conference  is  to  be  held; 
found  Father  Otterbein,  Boehm,  and  twelve  other 
preachers  there.  The  conference  was  opened 
with  singing  and  prayer  by  Otterbein  and  Boehm. 
The  former  gave  a  powerful  exhortation.  Then 
were  all  the  brethren  present  separately  examined 
respecting  their  progress  in  the  divine  life,  and 
their  success  and  industry  in  preaching. — 26th. 
This  forenoon  Father  Otterbein  preached  from 
Amos  iv.  12.  Boehm  spoke  after  him.  After 
transacting  some  other  business  the  conference 
closed  with  prayer." 

The  following  is  the  list  of  preachers: 
P readier s  present — Otterbein,  Boehm,  Geeting, 
Pfrimnier,  Newcomer,  Lehman,  Troxel,  Christian 
Cruni,  Henry  Crum,  John  Hershey,  J.  Geisinger, 
Heniy  Boehm,  D.  Aurandt,  and  Jacob  Baulus. 

*I  have  given  careful  attention  to  the  question  as  to  whether  the  confer- 
ence was  held  at  Peter  Kemp's,  as  stated  by  Newcomer  and  others,  or  at 
Frederick  Kemp's,  as  given  in  the  regular  minutes,  and  from  these  copied 
into  the  discipline.  Frederick  Kemp  lived  at  Jeffe'rson,  in  the  same  county^ 
and  his  house  was  a  regular  preaching-place.  A  decisive  testimony,  among 
others,  in  favor  of  Peter  Kemp's  as  the  place,  is  the  testimony  of  Henry 
Boehm,  who  was  present  at  the  conference,  and  was  at  the  time  keeping  a 
regular  diary.  The  name  Frederick,  as  applied  to  the  person,  may  have 
bees  n  clerical  error,  occasioned  by  the  close  proximity  in  the  minute*  of 
t'u«  **rae  Frederick  as  applied  to  the  county.  The  winutes  seem  not  to 
hare  been  recorded  in  the  record-book  before  180.'}. 
1$ 


274  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEfX. 

Absent — Schaffer,  Crider,  Grosli,  Xeidig,  Abra- 
ham Major,  G.  Fortenbach,  David  Snyder,  Adam 
Riegel,  A.  Hershey,  Christian  Hershey,  John 
Ernst,  of  Pennsylvania;  Thomas  Winters,  M. 
Thomas,  of  Maryland;  Simon  Herre,  Daniel 
Strickler,  John  Senseny,  Abraham  Hiestand,  and 
I.  Niswander,  of  Virginia.  David  Snyder  had 
no  regular  license  before  1801,  though  he  was  en- 
gaged in  preaching  before  that  time.  Sometimes 
laymen  became  preachers  before  themselves  or 
others  were  aware  of  it;  and  sometimes  a  license 
signed  at  a  great  meeting  by  two  or  three  preach- 
ers would  anticipate,  by  a  considerable  time,  a 
license  signed  by  Otterbein  and  Boehm,  or  the 
giving  of  a  license  at  a  regular  conference.  In 
addition  to  the  names  given,  there  might  be  added 
the  names  of  Sentmeyer,  Weidman,  Henry  Lan- 
dis,  and  others,  who  co-operated  with  the  United 
Brethren,  but  not  all  of  whom  were  ever  regu- 
larly associated. 

The  record-book  containing  all  of  the  minutes 
of  the  early  conferences,  beginning  with  1800, 
fortunately  has  been  preserved.  The  minutes, 
however,  omit  many  of  the  principal  transactions; 
perhaps  because  so  much  was  trusted  to  personal 
agency  and  supervision  outside  of  the  conference 
sessions.  Incidents  are  given,  while  facts  resting 
upon  principles  that  had  been  settled  by  the  very 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  27b 

course  of  things,  are  passed  by.  Important  votes, 
the  reception  of  members,  ordinations,  in  1807 
the  ordering  of  a  hymn-book  to  be  compiled  and 
printed,  and  many  other  tilings  known  from  other 
sources  to  have  formed  a  part  of  the  proceedings, 
are  altogether  omitted. 

The  series  of  minutes  has  the  following  preface: 
"  Here  now  follow  what,  from  the  year  1800  the 
United  Brotherhood  in  Christ  Jesus  —  until  1800 
the  United  (Die  Vereinigte*) — have  done  in  their 
annual  conferences  for  the  government  of  preach- 
ers and  church-members." 

The  name  Die  Vereinigte  is  a  collective  for  Die 
Vereinigten  Brueder  (the  United  Brethren).     The 


*  Many  other  names  were  also  in  use ;  as,  Die  Freiheits  Leute  (the  Liberty 
People),  Die  Gemeinde  (the  Church),  Die  All 'gemeine  Brueder schaft  (the  General 
Erotherhood),  Die  Neu  Refomiirte  (the  New  Reformed),  Die  Xeu  Mennoniten 
(the  New  Mennonites),  Die  Brueder  (the  Brethren),  Die  Boehynische  {Boehm's 
Followers),  Die  Otterbeinianer  (the  Otterbeinians),  and  Die  Unpartheischen 
(the  Unsectarian).  Some  of  these  designations  would  include  all  of  the 
societies,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  some  of  them  were  used,  in  particular 
cases,  in  regard  to  societies  that  sustained  only  a  fraternal  relation  to  the 
United  Brethren.  There  were  also  circles  of  Mennonites  that  were  called 
by  the  name  of  the  minister  through  whom  they  were  awakened,  as  the 
Landis  Leute  (People),  and  the  Lichtes  Leute  (the  followers  of  Felix  Light, 
who  began  to  preach  between  1800  and  1803).  Through  the  course  of  forty 
years  these  semi-independent  Mennonite  circles  were  breaking  into  the 
widening  circle  of  the  United  Brethren.  Thus  the  Mennonite  contribution 
was  greatly  enlarged.  After  the  death  of  the  pioneer  preachers  the  linec 
on  the  Reformed  side,  owing  to  a  reviving  church-spirit,  became  suffi- 
ciently rigid  to  materially  lessen  the  accessions  from  that  quarter.  In  con- 
sequence of  this  waning  importance  of  Reformed  elements,  some,  by 
failing  to  look  back  to  the  earlier  times,  fail  to  recognize  the  real  position 
and  importance  of  Otterbein. 


276  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

term  united  was  the  basis,  and  was  sometimes 
used  alone,  and  sometimes  in  connection  now  with 
one  name  and  now  with  another.  The  state- 
ment, often  made,  that  the  name  United  Breth- 
ren was  given  by  the  official  that  drew  up  the 
deed  for  the  Hagerstown  church -property  is 
altogether  incorrect.  The  deed  in  question  was 
not  made  until  1805,  and  the  name  then  used 
was  not  United  Brethren,  but  the  Society  of 
United  Christians.  The  name  United  Brethren 
is  a  monument  of  the  fraternity  of  spirit,  whose 
ushering  in  was  signalized  by  the  memorable 
words  of  Otterbein,  "  We  are  brethren."  Un- 
doubtedly it  was  the  memory  and  genius  of 
these  extraordinary  words,  together  with  the 
epochal  occasion  out  of  which  they  were  born, 
xhat  determined  and  matured  the  final  name,  the 
United  Brethren  in  Christ.  In  1800  the  latter 
part  of  the  name  was  adopted  for  the  purpose,  as 
all  agree,  of  avoiding  confusion,  the  name  United 
Brethren  not  being,  in  the  different  contingencies 
that  might  arise,  sufficiently  distinguishing. 

The  minutes  of  the  early  conferences,  notwith- 
standing their  imperfect  nature,  have  sufficient 
interest,  especially  since  the  counsels  of  Otterbein 
were  supreme  in  the  conferences,  to  justify  the 
insertion  here  of  the  complete  minutes  of  two  or 
three  sessions.     After  the  recital  of  time,  place, 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  277 

and  members  present,  as  already  given,  the  min- 
utes of  the  conference  of  1800  are  as  follows: 

Every  preacher  spoke  first  in  regard  to  his  own 
experience,  and  then  declared  his  intention  to  con- 
tinue to  preach,  by  the  assisting  grace  of  God,  in  full 
earnest,  to  the  honor  of  God  and  the  blessing  of  man- 
kind. 

Resolved,  That  two  preachers  shall  be  appointed  to 
investigate  the  case  of  D.  Aurandt,  as  to  his  author- 
ity to  administer  baptism  and  the  Lord's-supper. 

Resolved,  That  annually  a  day  shall  be  appointed 
on  which  the  unsectarian*  preachers  shall  assemble 
together  and  counsel  how  they  can  become  more 
useful  in  their  office,  so  that  the  church  of  God  may 
be  built  up,  sinners  converted  unto  God,  and  God 
glorified. 

The  conference  was  opened  with  prayer,  the  read- 
ing of  a  chapter,  and  a  short  exhortation  by  Brother 
Otterbein,  and  closed  with  prayer. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  there  is  no  reference  to 
the  election  of  bishops.  To  the  secretary,  George 
A.  Geeting,  it  probably  seemed  an  unnecessary 
work  to  formally  elect  to  the  office  of  bishop  per- 
sons that  were  already,  by  the  calling  of  Provi- 
dence, virtual  bishops.  Bnt  the  evidence  from 
other  sources  that  the  conference  did  not  neglect 
this  matter  of  form  is  abundantly  sufficient.    The 

♦This  is  not  the  only  instance  of  the  "  unsectarian"  becoming  a  Clis- 
linot  body. 


278  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

first  general  conference,  which  met  only  fifteen 
years  later,  some  of  the  members  having  been 
members  of  the  conference  of  1800,  said  in  regard 
to  those  that  comprised  the  conference  of  1800: 
"  They  there  united  themselves  into  a  society 
which  bears  the  name  of  the  United  Brethren  in 
Christ,  and  elected  William  Otterbein  and  Martin 
Boehm  as  superintendents,  or  bishops."  Henry 
Boehm,  who  was  present,  and  was  recognized  as 
a  member  of  the  conference,  says,  "  They  elected 
bishops  for  the  first  time.  William  Otterbein  and 
Martin  Boehm,  my  father,  were  unanimously 
chosen."  *  In  the  eighteenth  section  of  the  min- 
utes of  1802,  as  hereafter  quoted,  Otterbein  and 
Boehm  are  called  superintendents.  The  word 
used  is  eldesten;  but  that  office,  and  not  order,  is 
meant  no  one  will  question.  The  United  Breth- 
ren have  always  used  the  terms  bishop  and  super- 
intendent as  equivalents.  In  1805  Otterbein  and 
Boehm  were  re-elected  bishops,  their  election  in 
1804  having  been  prevented  by  the  general  sick- 
ness of  that  year,  and  the  small  attendance  at  the 
conference  in  consequence.     After  Otterbein  and 

*"  Reminiscences,"  pp.  55  and  56.  Henry  Boehm,  known  as  the  cen- 
tenarian of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  was  in  1800  keeping  a  regular 
diary,  and  his  statements  relating  to  the  events  of  1800  are  based  upon  that 
diary.  After  he  had  been  at  the  United  Brethren  conference,  and  at  the 
Methodist  general  conference  of  1800,  and  had  witnessed  the  settled  order 
and  discipline  of  the  Methodists,  he  made  up  his  mind,  as  he  says,  "  to 
enter  their  itinerant  ministry." 


LIFE    OF    OTTEBBEIN.  279 

Boehra  became,  on  account  of  old  age,  incapable 
of  attending-  the  sessions  of  conference,  there 
came  to  be  much  confusion  and  many  differences. 
There  was  need  of  an  active  bishop,  and  in  this 
character  Newcomer,  in  1813,  was  elected.  The 
death  of  Martin  Boelini  and  of  George  A.  Geet- 
ing  during  the  previous  year  made  this  election 
necessary.  To  show  that  Newcomer's  election 
meant,  not  the  election  of  the  first  bishop  by  the 
United  Brethren,  but  the  election  of  an  active 
bishop,  Xewcomer's  own  words  are  sufficient.  He 
wrote,  "The  brethren  elected  a  superintendent,  or 
bishop,  who  is  to  have  charge  of  the  whole  soci- 
ety; if  possible,  to  attend  all  of  the  annual  con- 
ferences of  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ." 

In  1801,  all  that  were  present  the  previous 
year,  except  Pfrimmer,  Henry  Boehm,  Troxel, 
and  Lehman,  were  present  at  the  conference, 
which  again  met  at  Peter  Kemp's.  The  new 
names  in  the  list  of  those  present  were  D.  Strick- 
ler,  Peter  Senseny,  Frederick  Schaffer,  John 
Neidig,  A.  Mayer,  1).  Snyder,  M.  Thomas,  A. 
Hershey,  D.  Long,  Thomas  Winters,  L.  Duck- 
wald,  Peter  Kemp,  and  M.  Kessler.  The  follow- 
ing are  extracts  from  the  proceedings : 

Resolved,  That  each  preacher,  after  preaching,  shall 
hold  a  conversation  with  those  who  may  be  seeking 
the  conversion  of  their  souls,  whoever  they  may  be. 


280  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

Resolved,  That  the  preachers  shall  aim  to  be  short, 
and  to  avoid  all  superfluous  words  in  their  sermons 
and  prayers;  yet,  should  the  Spirit  of  God  lead 
them  to  lengthen  their  sermons,  it  is  their  duty  to 
follow  the  divine  direction. 

It  was  also  resolved  that  each  preacher  who 
could  not  attend  the  annual  sessions  of  the  con- 
ference, should  give  the  conference  due  notice  of 
the  fact. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  those  that  con- 
stituted the  itineracy :  Christian  Newcomer,  David 
Snyder,  M.  Thomas,  Abraham  Hershey,  Daniel 
Strickler,  Abraham  Mayer,  Frederick  Schaffer, 
David  Long,  John  Neidig,  and  Peter  Kemp. 

The  following  are  the  complete  minutes  for 
1802: 

Conference  met  at  the  house  of  John  Cronise, 
Frederick  County,  Maryland,  October  6th,  1802.  The 
following  members  were  present :  William  Otter- 
bein,  Martin  Boehm,  Christian  Newcomer,  John 
Hershey,  Christopher  Grosh,  Abraham  Troxel, 
Henry  Crum,  Michael  Thomas,  Dietrich  Aurandt, 
David  Snyder,  Peter  Kemp,  Mathias  Kessler,  George 
A.  Geeting. 

Conference  was  opened  with  singing  and  prayer. 
O  Lord,  let  thy  kingdom  come,  and  thy  will  be  done 
on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven.  Grant  to  thy 
ministering  servants  grace  to  love  thee  above  all. 
Amen. 


LIFE    OF    0TTISR3EIN.  281 

The  preachers  present  were  examined  ir  regard 
to  their  character  and  usefulness. 

Resolved,  To  give  to  Valentine  Huegel  license  to 
exhort. 

Resolved,  To  write  to  Pfrimmer  that  for  the  pres- 
ent we  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  him. 

Brothers  Ludwig  Duckwald  and  William  Am- 
brose, from  Sleepy  Creek,  Virginia,  arrived  at  con- 
ference. 

Conference  met  October  7th.  Sermon  preached  by 
William  Otterbein  from  Hebrews  xiii.  17.  Exhor- 
tation by  M.  Boehm. 

Bro.  John  Miller  obtained  license  from  the  con- 
ference to  exhort. 

In  regard  to  the  keeping  of  a  register  of  the  names 
of  the  private  members,  it  was  found  that  out  of 
twelve  votes,  nine  were  against  the  motion.  So, 
with  consent,  the  matter  was  dropped. 

It  shall  be  the  duty  of  preachers  to  keep  up 
prayer-meetings  at  their  appointments,  wherever  it 
is  possible. 

Permission  was  given  to  Ludwig  Duckwald  to 
baptize  and  administer  the  Lord's-supper,  according 
to  the  word  of  God. 

Some  proposals  were  made  in  regard  to  the  col- 
lecting of  a  certain  sum  of  money  for  our  poor 
preachers. 

Resolved,  That,  if  any  of  our  preachers  shall  do 
anything  wrong,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  preacher 
next  (or  nearest)  to  him  to  talk  to  him  privately 


282  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

in  relation  to  the  wrong.  If  he  does  not  listen  to 
him,  or  accept  his  advice,  he  shall  take  with  him 
one  or  two  more  preachers ;  and  if  he  does  not  listen 
to  them,  he  shall  be  silenced  until  the  next  session 
of  conference. 

Resolved,  That  G.  A.  Geeting  shall,  next  spring 
and  fall,  visit  the  congregations  on  Frederick  Cir- 
cuit. 

Resolved,  That  Christian  Newcomer  shall  visit 
Cumberland  Circuit  twice  during  next  year. 

Resolved,  That  Martin  Boehm  shall  travel  twice 
through  Pennsylvania,  to  the  Susquehanna,  to  ascer- 
tain the  state  of  the  church. 

Jacob  Baulus  and  Valentine  Baulus  were  ap- 
pointed to  make  visits  from  house  to  house  through 
Middletown,  Fredericktown,  and  so  forth. 

Resolved,  That  in  case  one  of  our  superintendents 
—  W.  Otterbein  and  Martin  Boehm  —  should  die, 
another  one  in  his  place  shall  always  be  appointed. 
This  is  the  wish  of  these  two  brethren  and  the  unan- 
imous wish  of  all  the  preachers  present. 

Ludwig  Duckwald  and  John  Neidig  received  per- 
mission to  administer  all  the  ordinances  of  the 
house  of  God. 

Newcomer,  in  his  account  of  this  conference, 
says:  "  To-day  our  conference  commenced  at  John 
Cronise's,  with  singing  and  prayer  by  Father 
Boehm.  Otterbein  addressed  the  brethren  in  his 
usual   manner.      The  preachers  present  were  all 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  28H 

examined  separately.  *  *  *  — 7th.  This  da;y 
Otterbein  preached  from  Hebrews  xiii.  17,  with 
great  energy  and  power.  Boehm  followed  hini. 
Their  discourses  were  particularly  addressed  to 
the  preachers.  *  *  *  — 8th.  This  morning  con- 
ference met  again;  in  the  afternoon  Otterbein 
dosed  the  session  with  another  address.  He  ex- 
horted us  particularly  to  be  careful  to  preach  no 
other  doctrine  than  what  is  plainly  laid  down  in 
the  Bible;  that  nothing  less  than  a  new  creature 
in  Christ  Jesus  will  be  acceptable  in  the  sight  of 
God;  that  we  should  be  ardently  and  diligently 
engaged  in  the  work  of  the  Lord;  and  lastly,  that 
we  should  love  one  another,  and,  for  Jesus'  sake, 
suiter  and  endure  all  things.  He  then  dismissed 
the  conference  with  a  j^owerful  prayer." 

The  conference  of  1805  met  May  29th,  at  the 
house  of  Jacob  Baulus,  near  Middletown,  Maryland. 
The  following  is  the  list  of  the  preachers  present : 
\V.  Otterbein,  Martin  Boehm,  John  Hershey,  George 
A.  Geeting,  Daniel  Strickler,  Frederick  Schaffer, 
Peter  Kemp,  L.  Everhart,  David  Snyder,  Christian 
Crum,  Frederick  Duckwald,  William  Ambrose,  Jacob 
Baulus,  Jacob  Geisinger,  Christian  Berger,  Abraham 
Mayer,  Christian  Newcomer,  and  George  Benedum- 
The  following  are  the  proceedings  entire: 

Conference  was  opened  by  prayer  and  an  exhorta- 
tion by  Brother  Otterbein. 

The  preachers  resolved  to  engage  in  the?  work  of 


284  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

the  Lord  with  more  earnestness  than  ever  before,  by 
the  assisting  grace  of  God.  0  Lord  help  thou  us, 
thy  poor  and  unworthy  servants,  for  thine  own 
sake.     Amen. 

The  preachers  were  duly  examined  in  regard  to 
their  moral  and  ministerial  character. 

Brother  Pfrimmer  again  received  permission  to 
preach  the  gospel  among  us. 

The  following  brethren  arrived  at  the  close  of  the 
session  to-day :  Ludwig  Duckwald,  Daniel  Troyer, 
and  Jacob  Dehof. 

Conference  met  May  30th,  at  8:00  a.  m.,  and  was 
opened  by  the  reading  of  a  chapter  and  prayer. 

Bro.  Newcomer  agreed  to  travel  the  following  year 
through  Maryland  and  a  certain  part  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  Christian  Crum  agreed  to  travel  through 
Virginia.  Resolved  that  each  shall  receive  forty 
livres  [less  than  $8.00]  for  his  labors  per  annum. 

Resolved,  That  George  A.  Geeting  shall  be  present 
at  the  appointed  great  meetings  in  Maryland,  and 
on  this  side  of  the  Susquehanna,  in  Pennsylvania. 

It  was  recommended  that  Bro.  Geeting  should  not 
reside  in  Hagerstown,  and  that  Hagerstown  should 
be  regularly  visited  by  our  preachers. 

Resolved,  That  the  preachers  that  preach  only 
where  they  like  shall  receive  no  compensation  for 
their  services,  and  that  it  shall  be  their  duty  to  pay 
over  to  the  conference  the  money  that  they  may 
receive,  for  the  benefit  of  the  traveling  preachers. 

Permission  was  granted  by  this  conference  to  Bro 


LIFB   OF    OTTERBEIN.  2$5 

Frederick  Duckwald,  from  Sleepy  Creek,  and  Bro. 
Christian  Berger,  from  Westmoreland,  to  baptize, 
administer  the  sacrament,  and  solemnize  marriages. 
Resolved,  That  the  next  session  of  this  conference 
shall  be  held  at  the  house  of  Lorenz  Everhart,  on 
Tuesday  before  Whitsunday,  1806,  and  that  a  great 
meeting  shall  be  held  there  commencing  the  Satur- 
day following. 

The  session  of  conference  came  to  a  close  with  the 
reading  of  a  chapter  and  an  appropriate  exhortation. 

W.  Otterbein. 
Martin  Boehm. 
It  will  be  seen  by  the  foregoing  minutes  that 
the  itinerant  feature  in  the  method  of  supplying 
preaching  was  becoming  more  marked.  Instead 
)f  a  circuit  formed  by  each  preacher  about  his  own 
nome,  with  the  presence  and  assistance  at  irregu- 
lar intervals  of  the  leading  preachers,  circuits  in- 
dependent of  particular  ministers  were  becoming 
more  clearly  outlined.  Preachers  circulated  more 
and  under  better  superintendence.  Newcomer, 
Geeting,  and  others  traveled  much  from  place  to 
place,  assisting  the  preachers  on  sacramental  and 
other  occasions,  and  doing  much  miscellaneous 
Itinerant  work.  A  number  of  churches  were 
early  erected  for  the  use  of  the  United  Brethren, 
some  of  them  being  United  Brethren  churches  in 
the  proper  sense,  but  others  being  community 
churches.     A  United  Brethren  church  was  built 


25b  LIFE    OF    OTTERBBIN. 

in  Alleghany  County,  west  of  the  Alleghany 
Mountains,  as  early  as  1802. 

With  this  survey  of  the  general  work  down  to 
Mr.  Otterbein's  last  attendance  at  an  annual  con- 
ference, let  us  return  and  gather  as  best  we  may 
some  items  lying  nearer  to  his  personal  position 
and  more  immediate  labors.  Here  we  are  again 
compelled  to  fall  back  on  Newcomer's  journal; 
and  to  a  considerable  extent  we  shall  be  led  over 
the  ground  already  outlined.  But  we  are  ap- 
proaching so  close  to  the  end  of  his  laborious 
career,  that  everything  that  lies  within  our  reach 
is  to  be  sought  and  treasured.  Mr.  Newcomer's 
allusions  to  Mr.  Otterbein  do  honor  at  the  same 
time  to  the  qualities  of  his  own  mind  and  heart, 
and  give  a  noble  reflection  to  the  closing  days  of 
a  life  grandly  devoted  to  the  work  of  saving  the 
lost.  These  allusions  will  be  mainly  found  In 
connection  with  accounts  of  great  meetinp^  ana 
conferences. 

The  Sabbath  following  the  confer  nee  ot  18C0 
Mr.  Otterbein  was  present  at  a  gieat  mating, 
Mr.  Newcomer  makes  this  not:=  ''Father  Otter- 
bein preached  from  Revelation  lii.  7-12:  'And 
to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia  write  ? 
These  things  saith  he  that  is  holy9  he  that  is  true* 
he  that  hath  the  key  of  David,  he  that  openeth, 
and  no  man  shutteth;  and  shutteth,  and  no  man 


LIFE  OF  OTTERBEIN.  287 

openeth;  I  know  thy  works:  behold,  I  have  set 
before  thee  an  open  door,  and  no  man  can  shut 
it:  for  thou  hast  a  little  strength,  and  hast  kept 
my  word,  and  hast  not  denied  my  name.'  He 
spoke  with  astonishing  clearness  and  perspicuity, 
and  appeared  to  be  inspired  with  the  gift  of  inter- 
pretation." 

Mr.  Newcomer  made  the  following  note  in  ref- 
erence to  the  great  meeting  at  Antietam  for  1801: 
"May  24th.  Father  Otterbein  preached  this  fore- 
noon with  such  power  and  grace  that  almost 
every  soul  on  the  ground  seemed  to  be  pierced  to 
the  heart.  We  had  a  large  congregation,  and  the 
attention  of  every  soul  was  riveted  to  the  spot, 
#•  *  # — 25th.  To-day  we  had  truly  a  clay  of 
grace  and  of  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirits 
a  Pentecost  as  in  days  of  old." 

In  1802  Otterbein  was  present  at  the  great 
meeting  at  the  Antietam.  Newcomer  says:  "June 
5th.  To-day  our  meeting  commenced.  Father 
Otterbein  preached  the  first  sermon,  from  Mark 
x.  29-31.  After  preaching  we  had  a  small  con- 
ference with  the  preachers  present."  Newcomer^ 
after  referring  further  to  the  success  of  Otter- 
bein's  preaching,  gives  an  account  of  an  extended 
tour  made  by  Otterbein  and  others  through  Vir- 
ginia. Under  date  of  June  12th  Newcomer  saysi 
"This  day  a  sacramental  meeting  commenced  at 


288  LIFE    OF    OTTERHirff. 

Jacob  Funkhouser's,  in  Shenandoah  County. 
Otterbein,  Strickler,  and  Crum  were  present. 
Otterbein  delivered  the  first  discourse;  I  followed, 
and  Bro.  Strickler  concluded.  At  night  we  had 
meeting  at  Christian  Funkhouser's.  We  had  a 
great  time.  Eight  souls  were  happily  converted, 
and  many  others  were  crying  for  mercy.  I  lodged 
at  John  Funkhouser's. — Sunday,  13th.  A  great 
congregation  assembled  to-day.  OHerbein  spoke 
first,  from  Daniel  vii.  13  and  14.  I  can  not  but 
always  be  astonished  and  lost  in  amazement  at 
the  power  and  energy  with  which  this  servant  of 
God  declares  the  counsel  of  his  Master." 

The  conference  of  1803  was  held  in  Cum- 
berland County,  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Otterbein 
preached  "  as  usual  a  very  powerful  and  interest- 
ing discourse."  On  this  trip  he  also  visited  and 
preached  at  different  places  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  following  paragraph,  for  the  year  1804, 
will  give  us  a  glance  into  the  character  and  work- 
ings of  Mr.  Otterbein' s  church  in  Baltimore. 
Geeting,  Newcomer,  and  Peter  Kemp  made  one 
of  their  many  visits  to  Baltimore,  and  the  para- 
graph shows  how  they  were  engaged:  "February 
11th.  This  evening  we  arrived  at  Father  Otter- 
bein's,  in  Baltimore.  Several  of  the  brethren 
were  there  awaiting  us.  I  went  home  with  Peter 
Hoffman. — Sunday,  12th.  This  forenoon  Brother 
Geeting  preached  from  Revelation  xxi.  G  and  7, 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

witli  great  power.  In  the  afternoon  I  preached 
from  Acts  xii.  11.  At  night  we  had  a  prayer- 
meeting  at  Smith's;  had  a  blessed  time,  and 
stayed  there  for  the  night. — 13th.  To-day  we  vis- 
ited several  friends;  also  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dashields 
of  the  Episcopal  Church.  At  night  we  had 
meeting  at  Bender's.  A  great  many  people  were 
assembled. — 14th.  This  day  we  again  visited  the 
members  of  the  society  in  the  city,  also  the  Meth- 
odist Bishop  AVhatcoat,  who  happened  to  be  here. 
At  night  Brother  Kemp  preached  in  the  church. 
I  gave  an  exhortation.  *  *  *  —  15th.  This 
forenoon  I  met  a  class — all  sisters — at  Mr.  King's. 
At  night  another  class  met  at  Otterbein's — all 
brethren. —  16th.  This  afternoon  I  met  another 
class — all  sisters.  At  night  I  preached.  *  *  *— 
17th.  This  evening  we  had  a  meeting  at  Michael 
Grubb's.— 18th.  I  preached  at  Hoeflich's."  The 
meetings  not  in  the  church  were  held  in  the 
houses  of  members. 

The  following  is  Newcomer's  account  of  the 
conference  of  1805,  and  of  some  of  the  attendant 
events. — "  May  29th.  To-day  our  annual  con- 
ference commenced  at  Brother  Jacob  Baulus's. 
Twenty-one  preachers  were  present.  Father  Ot- 
terbein  and  Martin  Boehm  were  elected  presi- 
dents.*      The    character    of   all    the    preachers 

Newcomer  uses  the  term  "_president  "  of  himself  in  1813  and  1814 


290  LIFE   OF  OTTERBEIN. 

present  was  examined,  and  some  other  business 
transacted.  —  vl  ^n.  x^is  day  Father  Boehm 
preached  with  uncommon  power  from  Galatians 
vi.  15.  The  session  of  the  conference  closed  at 
night. — 81st.  To-day  Father  Otterbein  preached 
in  Hagerstown  in  the  German  Reformed  church. 
Oh,  what  feelings  always  penetrate  my  soul  when- 
ever I  hear  this  old  servant  of  Christ  declare  the 
counsel  of  God!  In  depth  of  erudition,  perspi- 
cuity of  thought,  and  plainness  of  language,  he 
is  unique  and  matchless." 

This  was  the  last  conference  that  Mr.  Otterbin 
attended.  Since  1800  he  had  missed  only  die 
conference,  and  that  was  the  one  of  1804 — a  year 
of  unprecedented  sickness  and  mortality.  He 
had  been  present  at  every  great  meeting  at  Antie- 
tam,  except  that  of  1803.  After  1805  his  age 
and  infirmities  did  not  permit  him  to  leave  Balti- 
more. 

In  December,  1805,  Newcomer  received  intelli- 
gence that  "  Father  Otterbein  was  very  ill,"  and 
"  that  in  all  probability  he  could  not  recover  from 
his  illness."  He  hastened  to  his  side.  On  the  17th 
of  December  he  made  the  following  entry:  "This 
morning  Otterbein  was  somewhat  better.  We 
held  a  long  conversation  together.  Among  other 
thiiags,  he  said  if  we  would  only  prove  faithful  to 
the  yfoitk  th&b  was  eo  auspiciously   begun   the 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  2;<  ' 

Lord  would  certainly  be  with  us,  and  continue 
unto  us  his  blessings.  Toward  evening  his  pains 
increased.  He  inquired  of  those  around  his  bed 
whether  I  was  present.  Being  answered  in  the 
affirmative,  I  drew  to  him,  and  asked  what  he 
desired.  '  0  Christian,'  said  he,  '  my  pains  are 
so  severe  and  incessant  that  without  the  assisting 
grace  of  God  I  must  sink,  for  my  strength  will 
be  shortly  exhausted.  Do  pray  that  the  Lord 
may  graciously  lend  me  his  assistance,  and  if  ac- 
cording to  his  will,  cause  my  pains  to  moderate.' 
We  suns'  a  few  verses  of  a  hvmn.  Brother  Et- 
tinger,  who  was  also  present,  and  myself  prayed 
and  besought  a  throne  of  grace  in  his  behalf.  Be- 
fore we  had  concluded,  the  pains  abated,  and  in  a 
short  time  he  fell  into  a  slumber.  After  com- 
mending him  once  more  to  the  divine  mercy  in 
fervent  prayer,  I  bid  him,  in  all  probability,  a 
last  farewell,  and  on  reaching  him  my  hand  he 
said  with  great  emphasis,  '  The  God  of  Abraham 
be  with  thee  and  bless  thee.  Remember  me  at  a 
throne  of  grace.'  " 

A  few  days  afterward  the  vestry  of  Mr.  Otter- 
bein's  church  placed  upon  the  record  this  action: 
"  It  was  found  that  our  preacher  was  too  old  to 
attend  the  meetings  and  to  act  as  president,  and 
Peter  Hoffman  was  elected  president  pro  tempore." 
It  was  at  this  time  that  Mr.  Otterbein  made  the 


292  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

will  that  was  probated  eight  years  afterward. 
He  subsequently  regained  some  of  his  wonted 
strength.  There  is  no  account,  however,  of  his 
being,  after  this  sickness,  farther  from  Baltimore 
that  to  the  place  of  Mr.  Leonard  Yundt,  who 
lived  four  and  one  half  miles  out  of  the  cit}%  on 
the  Frederick  road.  Mr.  Yundt  often  sent  in  his 
carnage  for  him,  and  he  would  go  out  and  spend 
the  day. 

Instead  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  going  out  now  to 
assist  "  his  preachers,"  they  came  to  assist  him. 
Again  and  again  Newcomer,  Geeting,  and  oth- 
ers went  to  Baltimore  to  preach  and  to  assist  on 
sacramental  and  other  occasions.  The  follow- 
ing are  a  few  of  Newcomer's  entries:  "1808, 
April  16th.  We  rode  thirty-eight  miles  to  Balti- 
more. I  lodged  with  Father  Otterbein. — Sunday, 
17th.  This  forenoon  Brother  Geeting  preached. 
I  gave  an  exhortation.  Otterbein  and  Geeting 
administered  the  sacrament.  In  the  afternoon  I 
preached."—"  1808,  October  2d.  Brother  Baulus 
preached  this  forenoon.  Otterbein  and  myself 
administered  the  sacrament." 

We  must  not  think  that  all  of  Mr.  Otterbein's 
energy  was  gone,  and  that  all  efficient  service  was 
at  an  end.  In  December,  1809,  Mr.  Newcomer  was 
at  Baltimore,  and  heard  him  preach  "with  great 
power  and  unction  from  on  high."     In  1810  be 


LIFE    OP   OTTERBEIN.  293 

sent  a  letter  to  the  conference,  and  represented  the 
United  Brethren  in  important  negotiations.  In 
the  minutes  of  1812,  the  last  that  the  pious  Geet- 
ing  lived  to  record,  a  list  including  twenty-six 
names  is  given  of  the  "  brethren  that  were  au- 
thorized to  administer  all  of  the  ordinances  of 
God's  house/'  the  first  name,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  being  that  of  William  Otterbein.  The 
account  of  the  events  of  the  year  1813  is  reserved 
for  the  final  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

FKIENDLY  RELATIONS— DEATH  OF  BOEHM  AND  GEETItfG. 

An  Incident  —  A  Plan  of  Co-operation  with  the  Methodists  — 
Organic  Union  not  Thought  Of — Early  Friendliness  —  Pri- 
ority in  the  Work  —  Ranke's  description  of  Popular  Move- 
ments— Comparative  Disadvantages  of  the  United  Brethren 
— Unfair  Classification  —  Review  of  Boehm's  Life  — Inci- 
dents—  The  Hollingsworth  Paper —Boehm's  Alleged  With 
drawal  from  the  United  Brethren — Review  of  Geeting's  Life. 

|p§l|(X  incident  will  indicate  the  honored  posi- 
:.-SMMi  tion  that  Mr.  Otterbein  gave  to  the  dis- 
ciples of  John  Wesley.  Rev.  John  Chris- 
tian Smith,  a  junior  preacher  among  the 
United  Brethren,  once  spent  three  or  four 
days  with  him  at  Baltimore.  The  conversation 
turning  upon  the  Methodists,  Mr.  Otterbein 
usked  him  if  he  had  ever  seen  Methodism  in  the 
Bible.  He  answered  that  he  did  not  know,  unless 
there  might  be  an  application  in  Psalms  IxviiL 
11-13:  "  The  Lord  gavne  the  word:  great  was  the 
company  of  those  that  published  it.  Kings  of 
armies  did  flee  apace:  and  she  that  tarried  at 
home  divided  the  spoil.  Though  ye  Imve  lain 
among  the  pots,  yet  shall  ye  be  as  the  wings  of  a 
dove  covered  with  silver,  and  her  feathers  with 

294 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN  295 

yellow  gold."  Mr.  Otterbein  then  turned  to  Zech- 
ariah  viii.  20-22:  "Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts; 
It  shall  yet  come  to  pass  that  there  shall  come 
people,  and  the  inhabitants  of  many  cities :  and 
the  inhabitants  of  one  city  shall  go  to  another, 
saying  let  us  go  speedily  to  pray  before  the  Lord, 
and  to  seek  the  Lord  of  hosts:  I  will  go  also. 
Yea,  many  people  and  strong  nations  shall  come 
to  seek  the  Lord  of  hosts  in  Jerusalem,  and  to 
pray  before  the  Lord."  Both  of  the  passages 
given  would  fitly  indicate  not  only  his  view  of 
Methodism,  but  also  his  view  of  the  demands  of 
the  time  and  the  method  of  supply. 

We  will  notice  Mr.  Otterbein  now  as  represent- 
ing the  United  Brethren  in  negotiations  looking 
toward  a  closer  union  with  the  Methodists.  For 
a  number  of  years  this  close  union  had  been,  by 
some,  earnestly  desired.  In  1809  a  committee  was 
appointed  by  the  Baltimore  Conference  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  in  session  at  Harrisonburg, 
Va.,  to  confer  with  Mr.  Newcomer  and  "ascertain 
whether  any,  and  if  any,  what  union  could  be  ef- 
fected between  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ."  The  confer- 
ence then,  in  open  session,  discussed  the  matter, 
and  gave  their  decision  to  Mr.  Newcomer,  in  the 
form  of  a  written  resolution,  which  he  "was  to 
deliver  to  Wm.  Otterbein    in  Baltimore."     The 


296  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

conference  also  addressed  a  letter  to  the  United 
Brethren  conference.  Mr.  .Newcomer  then  com- 
municated with  Mr.  Otterbein,  and  soon  after- 
ward visited  him  in  Baltimore.  The  United 
Brethren  conference,  which  met  soon  afterward, 
gave  a  friendly  answer  to  the  overtures  of  the 
Methodists.  The  letter  giving  this  answer  was 
signed  by  Boehm,  Geeting,  and  Newcomer.  The 
next  session  of  the  Baltimore  Conference  was  held 
in  Baltimore,  in  the  spring  of  the  following  year, 
and  during  the  session,  the  subject  of  the  union 
received  no  little  attention,  both  from  Methodists 
and  United  Brethren.  Martin  Boehm,  Christian 
Crum,  Christian  Newcomer,  and  Mr.  Otterbein  in 
concert  with  his  vestry,  on  the  part  of  the  United 
Brethren,  took  the  matter  under  consideration. 
Mr.  Newcomer  makes  the  following  note  in  re- 
gard to  the  assembling  of  the  vestry:  "  To-day 
the  vestry  of  Otterbein's  church  assembled,  to 
take  into  consideration  a  communication  of  the 
Methodist  conference.  Otterbein  was  president 
of  the  vestry.  The  communication  related  to  the 
subject  of  a  closer  union  between  the  two  socie- 
ties; namely,  the  Methodist  and  the  United  Breth- 
ren." "  Terms  of  accommodation,"  as  they  were 
called  by  the  Methodist  conference,  relating  chiefly 
to  the  use  of  churches  and  to  class-meetings  and 
love-feasts,  were  agreed  upon. 


LIFE   OP  OTTERBEIN.  297 

Indeed,  it  was  not  difficult  to  form  such  a  "  un- 
ion." The  United  Brethren  had  little  thought  of 
entering  the  English  field,  and  the  Methodists,  at 
that  time,  had  not  the  least  thought  of  a  distinct 
work  among  the  Germans.  The  merging  of  the 
two  societies  into  one  was,  as  much  from  consid- 
erations on  the  one  side  as  on  the  other,  impossi- 
ble, and  was  not  thought  of.  Some,  in  more 
recent  times,  have  thought  that  a  complete  union 
might  have  been  accomplished.  Their  mistake 
grows  out  of  their  overlooking  the  early  origin, 
composition,  and,  to  a  degree,  the  confirmed 
ways  of  the  United  Brethren;  and,  on  the  other 
side,  their  overlooking  the  belief  of  the  English 
population  that  the  use  of  the  German  language 
was  soon  altogether  to  cease.  Other  points  they 
likewise  overlook.  Methodist  writers  have  not 
been  properly  aware  of  the  extent  to  which 
organization  and  discipline  belonged,  at  an 
early  time,  to  the  United  Brethren.  Quinn's 
Journal  by  J.  F.  Wright,  and  Bishop  Roberts' 
Journal  by  Charles  Elliot,  and  other  published 
works,  are  in  error  on  this  point.  Even  Bishop 
Asbury  was  not  aware  that  the  United  Brethreu 
had  kept  any  record  of  their  proceedings.  Refer- 
ences from  a  United  Brethren  source  to  opposition 
to  a  form  of  discipline,  should  be  understood  of  a 
printed  discipline  and  the  extent  of  the  matter  that 


298  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

it  wae  feared  would  be  incorporated.  In  the  same 
way,  opposition  to  classing  meant  opposition  to 
things  connected  with  classes.  There  was,  how- 
ever, much  diversity  among  the  United  Brethren. 
Yet  some  that  are  sometimes  spoken  of  as  United 
Brethren  were  not,  in  the  early  period,  strictly 
such.  From  the  absence  of  printed  regulations, 
advanced  organization,  and  customary  ecclesias- 
tical language,  many  have  been  led  to  overlook 
elements  in  the  rise  of  the  United  Brethren  that 
were  really  primitive  and  important, 

The  great  friendliness,  in  early  days,  of  Meth- 
odists and  United  Brethren  can  hardly  be  appreci- 
ated by  their  successors  of  the  present  generation. 
Mr.  Spayth,  who  entered  the  United  Brethren 
conference  in  1812,  in  referring,  nearly  forty  years 
afterward,  to  this  early  joyous  fellowship,  said: 
"I  confess  it  is  hard  for  me  to  get  away  from  this 
sunny  spot.  The  love,  I  trust,  still  burns  within 
my  breast.  I  can  look  back  and  see  the  smiles 
and  cordial  shakes  of  the  hand  —  hands  now  cold 
in  death,  while  mine  writes  and  trembles  —  ai}d 
the  hearty  and  joyous  welcome  when  Methodists 
and  United  Brethren  met."  Many  on  the  side 
of  the  Methodists  have  used  similar  expressions. 
But  whatever  may  have  been  the  benefit,  at  the 
time,  of  the  "treaty  of  amity  and  friendship," 
and  whatever  benefits  in  the  most  comprehensive 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBBDf.  T"^ 

and  enduring  way  may  have  been  secured. 
gain,  as  regards  church-extension  and  numerical 
increase,  was  wholly  with  the  Methodists. 

Otterbein  and  Boehni  were  preaching  the  grand 
evangelical  truths  that  brought  about  conversions 
and  revivals  before  there  was  a  Methodist  class  or 
a  Methodist  preacher  in  America;     In  regard  to 
the  independent  beginnings  of  the  general  revival 
culminating  in  the  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  cen- 
turies, J   \  Blackburn,  in  his  Church  History,  has 
the  following:     "Almost  contemporaneously  the 
omnipresent  Spirit,  who  breathed  where  he  listed, 
was  giving  new  life  tc  multitudes  of  people  through 
the  Lib' r-  of  Christian  David  among  the  Mora- 
vians, the  Pietists  in  Germany,  Autoine  Court  in 
France,  Jonathan  Edwards  in  'New  England,  cer- 
tain pastors  in  Scotland,  Howell  Harris  in  Wales, 
and   Whitefield    and  Wesley  in  England.     The 
widely-extended  work  had  begun  before  the  Wes- 
leys  made  any    really  popular  impression. "      In 
some  of  these  cases  there  was  not  independence 
as  regards  tho  leaders,  but  in  regard  to  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  people  there  was  yet  a  preparation  in 
individual  hearts.     In  addition  to  the  examples 
given,  one  might  refer  to  Cocceianism  and  Laba- 
dism   in   Holland,   perhaps   to  Jansenism  in  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  a  United  Brethren  would 
sot  fail  to  mention  the  movement  under  Otter- 


BOO  LITE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

hem.  Otterbein  may  bave  been  dependent,  in  a 
measure  on  influence  from  Holland  and  from  the 
Pietists,  but  Wesley  received  even  more  influence 
from  the  Moravians,  and  not  less  from  the  Pie- 
tists. Yet  both, by  assimilating  the  influence  that 
they  received,  and  by  adding  something  from 
themselves,  gave  the  character  of  independence 
to  the  movements  connected  with  their  names. 
The  added  elements,  however,  were  far  from 
being  altogether  of  themselves;  they  belonged  to 
the  age  and  the  conditions  of  society.  As  these 
men  shared  the  peculiarities  of  their  age  most 
consciously,  they  were  specially  qualified  for  lead- 
ership. 

An  illustrative  quotation  in  regard  to  the  prep- 
aration of  the  people  will  be  introduced  from 
Panke's  History  of  the  Popes.  The  passage, 
though  on  a  somewhat  different  subject,  gives  us 
a  vivid  view  of  the  seemingly  spontaneous  prepa- 
ration of  society  for  great  changes,  through  causes 
that  lie  as  much  beyond  man's  observation  as  they 
lie  beyond  his  ability  to  supply  or  control  them. 
We  would  say,  doubtless,  that  the  preparation  for 
modern  evangelical  Christianity  came  from  God, 
and  yet  secondary  causes  are  not  to  be  ignored. 
When  men's  minds  are  hard  to  move,  and  religion 
languishes,  ought  we  not  to  think  of  a  forming  or 
returning  force  that  will  lift  society  to  a  more 


LIFE    OP    OTTERBEIN.  3Q1 

hopeful  plane?   If  the  religious  impulses  of  an  age 
seem  in  time  to   wear  themselves  shallow,  it  ye: 
remains  a  fact  that  artificiality  and  worldliness 
become  at  the  last  insupportable.    The  paragraph 
also  indicates  the  tendency  to  likeness  in  form, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  possibility  of  great  diver- 
sity.   The  following  is  the  passage:    "  We  are  not 
to  believe  that  the  influence  of  public  opinion  on 
the  world  has  begun  to   make  itself  felt  for  the 
first  time  in  our  own  day;  through  every  age  of 
modern  Europe  it  has  constituted  an  important 
element  of  social  life.     Who  shall  say  whence  it 
arises  or  Iioav  it  is  formed?   It  may  be  regarded  as 
the  most  peculiar  product  of  that  identification 
of  interests  which  holds  society  in  compact  forma, 
as  the  most  intelligible  expression   of  those  in- 
ternal movements  and  revolutions  by  which  life, 
shared  in  common,  is  agitated.  *    *    *    It  obtains 
the  mastery  over  men's  minds  by  the  force  of 
involuntary  convictions.     But   only  in   its  most 
general    outlines    is   it   in    harmony    with,   itself; 
within  these  it  is  reproduced  in  greater  or  smaller 
circles  innumerable,  and  with  modifications  var- 
ied to  infinity."  * 

Undoubtedly  for  the  general  evangelical  move- 
ment there  was  a  wide  and  ripened  preparation  in 
society,  resting  in  those  deep  conditions  that  God 

*VoL  L,  p.  99. 


302  LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN* 

has  ordained  whereby  man  is  to  be  held  within 
the  limits  of  hope.  Undoubtedly,  also,  no  one 
man,  or  any  limited  number  of  men,  or  any  single 
manifestation,  should  be  exalted  over  the  whole 
field  of  renewed  spiritual  life.  With  this  digres 
sion,  let  us  return  to  the  parallel  movements  of 
the  Methodists  and  the  United  Brethren. 

Especially  in  preaching. in  the  German  districts 
of  Pennsylvania,  Maryland,  and  Virginia,  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein  and  his  co-laborers  were  many  years  in 
advance  of  the  Methodists.  When  the  Method- 
ists appeared  in  the  communities  that  had  been 
occupied  by  the  German  evangelists,  they  always 
met  with  a  hearty  welcome,  and  every  facility  was 
offered  for  their  largest  success  in  preaching  and 
in  winning  souls.  As  the  young  people  grew  up 
and  became  acquainted  with  the  English  lan- 
guage, the  door  for  English  preaching  became 
wider  and  wider.* 

John  Wesley  had  given  to  the  Methodists  many 
of  the  best  elements  of  the  Anglican  Church. 
Their  system  became  developed  and  was  thor- 
oughly proved  under  the  eye  of  Mr.  Wesley 
himself,  who  ranks  as  one  of  the  best  organizers 

*Quinn,  a  pioneer  of  the  Methodist  Church,  in  his  journal  for  1802,  in 
allusion  to  four  of  "Mr.  Otterbein's  societies,"  says:  "  They  had  volunta- 
rily placed  themselves  under  our  watch -care  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
English  preaching,  for  the  benefit  of  their  neighbors,  and  of  their  rising 
families,  who  were  losing  a  knowlrd^e  of  the  German  language." 


JAFE    OF   OTTBRBEIN.  80S 

and    administrators  that  England  has  produced. 
With  the  confidence   inspired  by  unprecedented 
success  on  the  other  side  of  the  water,  Methodism 
entered,  in    the   New  World,  upon  a  still   more 
vigorous  and  successful  career.      With  the  Ger- 
mans  the    case   was  very  different.     Instead  of 
building  so  much  on  historic  Christianity,  it  was 
with  them  more  as  if  the  Master  had  again  gone 
down  to  the   shore  of  the  sea,  and  come  forth  at 
the  head  of  a  new  band  of  Galilean  fishermen.    In 
some  circumstances,  something  of  this  kind  may 
be  necessary,  yet  it  always  has  its  disadvantages. 
The  aversion  of  the  German  mind,  too,  to  a  thor- 
ough discipline,  with  which  Luther  in  his  time  had 
to  contend,  lingered  with  the  Germans  of  Amer- 
ica.    The  embarrassing   circumstances,  likewise, 
that  belonged  to  the  beginning  of  the  movement, 
gave  rise  to  such  a  type  for  the  work  as  put,  in 
subsequent  times,  sad  limitations  on  its  progress. 
The  circumstances  of  a  German  people  in  a  coun- 
try prevailingly  English,  with  the  proverbial  difil- 
culties  arising  from  the  attempt  to  substitute  the 
English  for  the  German  language,  go  far  in  ex- 
plaining losses  and  slowness  of  growth.    But  tak- 
ing the  conditions  among  the  Germans  as  they 
were,  perhaps  better,  all  in  all  considered,  coulc? 
not  have  been  done. 

After    Methodism    had     become     everywhere 


304  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

known,  and  had  excited  the  opposition  and  ridi- 
cule of  a  certain  class  of  society,  the  United 
"Brethren,  as  their  preaching'  was  attended  with 
like  phenomena,  were  called  in  derision  Dutch 
Methodists.  Newcomer  says  that  they  were  thus 
called  hy  the  "worldly-minded."  They,  however, 
never  accepted  the  designation.  There  are  Ger- 
man Methodists,  hut  they  are  not  the  United 
Brethren.  Nor  are  the  United  Brethren  an  off- 
shoot or  branch  of  Methodism,  though  a  certain . 
class  of  writers,  from  motives  that  are  perfectly 
transparent,  persist  in  thus  classing  them.  In 
early  times,  when  the  German  fathers  had  occa- 
sion to  refer  to  both  societies,  their  designations 
were  the  "  English  brethren  "  and  the  "  German 
brethren." 

As  this  chapter  and  the  two  preceding  chap- 
ters trace,  though  on  different  lines,  the  life  of 
Mr.  Otterbein  down  to  the  close  of  1812,  a  little 
space  will  now  be  given  to  two  of  his  co-laborers, 
who,  in  1812,  were  called  from  labor  to  reward. 
These  devoted  co-laborers  were  Martin  Boehm 
and  George  Adam  Geeting.  In  regard  to  Martin 
Boehm,  too,  there  are  some  points  that  connect 
themselves  somewhat  with  the  general  subject 
already  considered.  In  giving  a  running  review, 
more  or  less  of  repetition  of  earlier  statements 
will  be  unavoidable. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN,  305 

Martin  Boehm  was  born  in  1725.  He  was 
chosen  minister  in  1750.  He  did  not,  however, 
enter  upon  ministerial  duties  at  once.  In  1759 
lie  was  chosen  full  minister,  or  bishop.  He  had 
now  the  privilege  of  administering  the  ordinances 
as  well  as  of  preaching.  When  Boehm  asked 
what  he  should  preach,  he  was  told  that  he  should 
preach  "  repentance  and  faith."  Ominous  words! 
He  was  led  into  the  truth  by  reflecting  on  the 
doctrines  that  he  himself  preached.  A  journey 
to  Virginia,  by  bringing  him  in  contact  with  the 
disciples  of  Whitefield,  brought  a  great  blessing  to 
him.  Through  several  years  his  sphere  of  preach- 
ing became  wider  and  more  crowded.  Intensify- 
ing opposition  was  also  excited.  Between  1766 
and  1768  he  met  Otterbein  at  Isaac  Long's.  After 
temporary  separations  and  the  gradual  overcom- 
ing of  difficulties  lying  in  the  stage  and  nat- 
ure of  the  work  and  the  disturbed  condition  of 
the  country  at  large,  the  widening  circle  of  the 
labors  of  Boehm  again  touched  the  likewise  ex- 
tending circle  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  labors.  Hence- 
forth their  labors  were  united.  But  as  Mr.  Boehm 
had  no  settled  charge  over  particular  congrega- 
tions, his  itinerant  labors,  especially  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, were  more  constant  and  extensive.  Beginning 
with  1 789  he  was  present  at  every  conference  of 
the  United  Brethren  down  to  1809,  with  the  ex- 

2C 


306  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

ception  of  those  of  180G  and  1808,  being  present 
in  1809  for  the  last  time.  In  1 800  and  1805  he  was, 
with  Otterbein,  elected  bishop.  In  1810  he  was 
present  in  Baltimore  when  the  relations  of  the 
United  Brethren  and  the  Methodists  were  being 
considered.  About  1805,  however,  his  more  act- 
ive labors  ceased;  and  with  reason  enough,  for  he 
was  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  In  his  later  years 
he  was,  in  his  appearance,  truly  venerable.  Not- 
withstanding his  many  hardships,  he  retained  to 
the  last  considerable  bodily  vigor  and  freshness 
of  countenance.  In  his  preaching  he  was  une- 
tious,  magnetic,  and  strikingly  effective. 

A  few  incidents  in  regard  to  Mr.  Boehm  may 
not  be  out  of  place.  On  one  occasion  he  was 
to  preach  on  the  Conewago,  in  Pennsylvania. 
A  Mr.  Brand  had  opened  his  house  for  meetings. 
His  neighbor,  Mr.  B.  Carper,  was  highly  offended 
at  this,  as  Boehm  and  those  associated  with  him 
were  generally  regarded  as  "  false  prophets  and 
deceivers."  It  was  said  that  they  had  "such  be- 
witching powers  over  the  people  "  that  when  the}' 
once  had  a  start  in  a  family  or  neighborhood, 
no  one  knew  where  the  mischief  would  end. 
Carper  resolved  that  he  would  kill  the  preacher, 
and  so  went  to  Brand's  house,  and  stationed  him- 
self at  the  door  to  wait  the  close  of  the  meeting. 
At  the  same  time  he  had  an  opportunity  to  listen 


LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN.  307 

to  the  discourse.  It  appeared  to  him  that  Brand 
had  told  the  preacher  all  about  him.  In  an  in- 
stant a  fearful  trembling  came  over  him.  In  am 
other  moment  he  turned  and  fled  toward  his  own 
house.  The  tones  of  the  preacher  and  the  face 
with  "  a  large  heard"  followed  him,  and  he  found 
no  rest  until  he  was  a  new  creature  in  Christ. 

At  a  meeting  held  by  Boehm  in  an  open  field 
near  York,  Pennsylvania,  a  great  many  people 
were  in  attendance.  In  those  days  of  horseback 
riding,  large  boots  with  spurs  were  worn.  Among 
those  present  was  Dr.  Peter  Senseny,  who  walked 
about  the  grounds  having  his  legs  ensconced 
within  a  large  pair  of  riding -boots  and  spurs. 
Boehm  in  dwelling  upon  the  wickedness  of  the 
times  exclaimed,  "  Some  sinners  are  going  to  hell 
with  boots  and  spurs  on."  These  words  echoed 
in  the  heart  of  Senseny  until  he  was  led  to  make 
his  peace  with  God.  He  afterward  moved  to 
Winchester,  Virginia.  He  was  for  some  years  an 
honored  preacher  of  the  gospel.* 

At  one  time  Boehm,  in  company  with  some 
others,  all  on  horseback,  was  on  his  way,  as  it 
seems,  to  a  Sabbath-afternoon  appointment.  As 
they  passed  along  and  turned  about  the  corner  of 
a  hedge  they  came-  upon  a  company  of  forty  or 
fifty   bo}Ts,  called   together   by  a   game  of  bal 

*For  this  and  the  preceding  incident  see  Huber's  Autobiography. 


308  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

Boelim  turned  his  horse  toward  them,  got  their 
attention,  and  gave  them  a  short  sermon  on  the 
sin  of  Sabbath-breafeing.  The  boys  soon  quit 
the  ground,  and  the  reproof  of  Boehm  led  to  the 
conversion,  soon  afterward,  of  a  number  of  the 
young  people  in  the  community. 

We  now  turn  to  the  death  of  this  honored  vet- 
eran. On  the  28d  of  March,  1812,  at  his  own  home, 
Martin  Boehm,  the  co-laborer  of  Otterbein,  the 
laborious  and  good  Martin  Boehm,  fell  asleep  in 
Jesus.  A  few  days  after  his  body  was  placed 
beneath  the  sod,  Bishop  Asbury  arrived  upon 
the  scene,  and  in  a  fitting  funeral  discourse  paid 
a  noble  tribute  to  the  departed.  Martin  Boehm 
at  the  time  of  his  death  was  in  his  eighty-seventh 
year.  He  had  been  a  preacher  of  the  gospel  for 
fifty-five  years. 

A  great  deal  of  attention  has  been  given  by  dif- 
ferent writers,  to  a  paper  relating  to  Mr.  Otterbein 
and  Mr.  Boehm  and  their  German  associates  that 
was  published  originally,  in  1823,  in  the  Methodist 
Magazine.  The  paper  has  generally  been  sup- 
posed to  have  been  written  during  the  life  of  Bish- 
op Asbury  by  its  author,  Francis  Hollingsworth, 
the  transcriber  of  Bishop  Asbury's  journal.  But 
this  was  not  the  case.  Bishop  Asbury,  shortly 
before  his  death,  requested  Mr.  Hollingsworth  to 
draw  up  an  account  of  the   German   preachers 


LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN.  309 

and  their  work.  Mr.  Hollingsworth,  in  his  intro- 
duction to  the  article  referred  to,  expresses  his 
regret  that  Mr.  Asbury  had  not  put  the  necessary 
materials  at  his  disposal.  The  "  Hollingsworth 
paper"  has  value  for  historical  purposes,  jet  it 
must  he  used  with  discrimination.  It  contains,  iu 
the  first  place,  an  account  of  Martin  Boehm,  some 
of  the  facts  for  which  were  gathered  by  Mr.  Hol- 
lingsworth. It  then  gives  a  list  of  questions  pro- 
posed by  Mr.  Asbury,  in  1811,  to  Martin  Boehm, 
and  the  answers  to  the  same  as  taken  down  by 
Henry  Boehm.  It  then  gives  some  parts  of  the 
sermon  that  was  delivered  by  Mr.  Asbury  on  the 
occasion  of  the  death  of  Martin  Boehm.  The 
observations  of  Mr.  Asbury,  however,  are  not 
given  without  the  "  alteration  and  substitution  of 
a  few  sentences  and  words."  Finally  there  is 
given  a  list  of  questions  proposed  by  Mr.  Asbury 
to  Mr.  Otterbein,  with  the  answers  thereto  by  Mr. 
Otterbein.  This  last  paper  will  be  again  referred 
to  at  the  proper  place. 

No  comment  is  necessary  in  regard  to  the  part 
originating  with  Mr.  Hollingsworth.  The  an- 
swers of  Martin  Boehm  to  Asbury 's  questions 
must  not  be  regarded  as  at  all  full,  or  even  care- 
fully considered.  For  example,  the  answers  make 
Martin  Boehm  to  say,  after  speaking  of  his  es- 
**em  for  the  Methodists,  "  Several  of  the  minis- 


310  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

ters  with  whom  I  labored  continued  to  meet  in  a 
conference  of  the  German  United  Brethren;" 
whereas  but  one  session  of  the  United  Brethren 
conference  had  been  held  between  the  session  of 
1809,  when  he  was  himself  present,  and  the  time 
when  the  answers  to  the  questions  were  taken 
down.  Other  statements  are  equally  vague  or 
inaccurate. 

In  regard  to  what  was  gleaned  from  Mr.  As- 
bury's  sermon,  it  is  only  necessary  to  state  that  it 
can  not  be  expected  that  a  sketch  could  be  drawn 
up,  in  the  short  time  allowed  before  the  preach- 
ing of  a  funeral  sermon,  free  from  mistakes  and 
one-sidedness.  Bishop  Asbury  told  what  he  knew 
best,  and  told  it  appreciating^  and  without  prej- 
udice. The  sketch  should  be  taken  for  all  it  pur- 
ports to  be  —  a  hasty  sketch,  slightly  revised  by 
one  that  confesses  himself  to  have  been  little  ac- 
quainted with  the  matters  treated.  The  statements 
contained  in  the  Hollingsworth  paper  may  be  of 
value  when  they  fall  harmoniously  within  a  known 
outline;  but  no  one  would  interpret  a  vague  and 
incomplete  statement  against  a  line  of  concurrent 
facts. 

It  is  proper  to  consider  here  the  allegations, 
sometimes  made,  as  to  Mr.  Boehm's  connection 
with  the  Methodists.  In  1775,  according  to  a 
statement  made  by  Henry  Boehm,  more    likely 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  Sll 

though  about  1777,  Methodist  preachers  first  be- 
gan to  call  at  the  home  of  Martin  Boehm.  As 
regards  any  public  labors  in  Lancaster  County, 
there  were  none  before  about  1780.  Rupp  says 
that  "in  1781  Methodist  ministers  first  visited" 
the  county,  and  that  "in  1782  Lancaster  Circuit 
was  formed."  The  wife  and  some  of  the  children 
of  Martin  Boehm  early  united  with  the  Meth- 
odists. Some  of  the  family,  however,  continued 
with  the  United  Brethren,  and  some  of  the  de- 
scendants of  Martin  Boehm  have  been  United 
Brethren  ministers.  In  1791  a  chapel  was  built 
on  land  then  owned  by  Jacob  Boehm,  the  same 
having  been  deeded  to  him  eight  years  before  by 
his  father.  The  deed  for  the  church-lot  was  first 
made  to  Christian  Herr,  a  zealous  member  of  the 
United  Brethren  society  and  at  whose  house  a 
number  of  United  Brethren  conferences  were 
held.  The  lot  was  the  next  day  deeded  to  a 
board  of  trustees,  Martin  and  Jacob  Boehm  be- 
ing twro  of  the  number,  in  trust  for  the  Meth- 
odists.r  Some  of  the  persons  made  trustees  lived 
in  other  communities. 

Undoubtedly  the  matured  plans  and  assured 
permanency  of  the  Methodists  had,  in  ten  short 
years,  thoroughly  won  the  confidence  of  Martin 
Boehm  and  his  German  neighbors.  The  basis 
for  the  work  in  the  community  was  United  Breth 


$12  LIFE    OF   OTTERBKIN. 

ren  and  German;  the  form  and  governing  charac- 
ter came  to  be  Methodist.  Both  societies  continued 
for  some  time  in  the  fullest  and  freest  use  of  the 
house.      Some  of    the   great  preachers  of   early 
Methodism  found  their  way  to  Boehm  Chapel, 
Bishop  Asbury  among  the  number.     Methodism 
at  that  time  was  a  rising  tide  of  overwhelming 
force.     Father  Boehrn  enjoyed  to  the  fullest  the 
eclat  of  its  great  successes.     Especially  was  he 
enraptured  when  he  saw  his  youngest  son  Henry 
a  successful   Methodist  preacher,  and  at  length 
the  traveling  companion  of  the  apostolic  Asbury. 
But  no  one  needs  to  be  told  that  the  Methodist 
system  was  rigorous.     Persons  not  members  were 
only  allowed  to  be  present  at  the  class-meetings 
"  every  second   meeting,"  and  then  at  the  most 
only  "  twice  or  thrice."      At  love-feasts  persons 
were  not  allowed  under  any  pretext  to  be  present 
"oftener  than  twice  or  thrice,"  unless   they  be- 
came "  members."     Within  the  memory  of  men 
yet  young,  doors  have  been  closed  upon  sires  not 
Methodists,  while  their  children  have  enjoyed  the 
privileges  of  a  Methodist  class-meeting.     No  one 
needs  to  complain  of  this.     Such  was  the  rule. 
This  rule,  however,  was  not  at  first  enforced  in 
regard  to  the  class-meetings  at  the  Boehm  meet- 
ing-house.    But  in  1802  it  was  thought  necessary 
that  Martin  Boehm's  name  should  go  upon  the 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  31  o 

class-book,  if  he  was  to  be  admitted  to  the  meet- 
ings. He  not  unwillingly  agreed  to  this.  Thi. 
need  not  be  called  unfairness  on  the  side  of  the 
Methodists,  and  certainly  was  not  duplicity  on 
his  part.  Henry  and  Christian  Crum,  Asbury 
informs  us,  were  "members  of  both  societies," 
Yet  if  it  were  not  for  this  testimony  of  Asbury, 
no  one  would  now  know  that  their  names  eyer 
went  upon  a  Methodist  class-book.  Other  exam- 
ples of  such  a  connection  could  be  given.  After 
1809,  by  the  plan  adopted  between  the  United 
Brethren  conference  and  the  Baltimore  and  Phil- 
adelphia conferences  of  the  Methodist  Church,  it 
was  no  longer  necessary  to  go  through  these 
forms  in  order  to  obtain  the  privileges  named. 
Martin  Boehm's  cordial  relations  with  the  Meth- 
odists, from  first  to  last,  and  this  joining,  in  old 
age,  a  Methodist  class,  under  the  circumstances 
named,  are  the  sole  basis  for  the  statement  made 
by  some  that  for  thirty-two  years  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  Methodists.  As  Martin  Boehm 
continued  years  after  he  joined  the  local  Meth- 
odist society  in  1802  to  work  in  the  closest  fellow- 
ship with  the  United  Brethren,  being  present  at 
the  conference  of  1809?  and  at  that  conference 
signing  the  communication  to  the  Methodist  con- 
ference, and  as  after  this  and  before  his  death  he 
missed  only  two  sessions,  any  one  can  see  where 


314  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

his  relations  were.  Rev.  Isaac  P.  Cook,  now  de- 
ceased, a  Methodist  that  was  well  versed  in  early 
Methodist  and  United  Brethren  history  alike, 
said  to  the  writer,  one  year  ago,  that  he  consid- 
ered Mr.  Boehm's  relations  to  the  Methodists  to 
be  but  nominal. 

George  Adam  Geeting  we  have  met  at  almost 
every  step.  He  has  already  been  called  the  first 
complete  and  well-known  product  of  the  revival 
among  the  Germans.  Next  to  Otterbein  and 
Boehm,  he  subsequently  stood  as  the  chief  expo- 
nent of  the  work.  His  labors  were  incessant. 
He  never  wavered  and  never  tired.  He  only 
missed  one  session  of  conference — that  of  1804. 
He  it  was  that  was  called  upon  to  bear  the  chief 
opprobrium  of  the  new  movement.  If  he  were 
preaching  in  our  day,  no  one  would  think  of  ap- 
plying to  him  the  epithet  fanatic.  Mildness,  good 
judgment,  and  excellent  facility  in  suiting  him- 
self to  occasions,  characterized  him. 

Spayth  says  of  him :  "  Brother  Geeting  was 
like  an  early  spring  sun  rising  on  a  frost- silvered 
forest,  which  gradually  affords  more  light  and 
heat  until  you  begin  to  hear  the  crackling  of  the 
ice-covered  branches  and  the  dripping  of  the 
melted  snow  as  if  it  were  a  shower  of  rain,  and 
until  a  smiling,  joyous  day  appears.  *  *  *  His  win- 
ing manners  and  shining  talents  secured  for  him 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  315 

universal  respect  and  esteem,  good  congregations, 
and  what  was  much  more  important,  access  to 
the  hearts  and  consciences  of  those  who  came  to 
hear  him.  He  would  follow  the  sinner  in  his 
devious  paths,  showing  the  severity  of  God's 
holy  law  in  a  manner  that  made  stout  hearts  to 
quail  and  tremble;  and  then,  with  feelings  and 
language  peculiar  to  himself,  present  to  the 
stricken-hearted  a  loving  Savior,  and  in  tones  so 
beseechingly  sweet,  that  the  effect  was  invariably 
a  congregation  in  tears." 

When  speaking  of  the  opposition  that  he  met, 
he  would  say,  as  the  tears  came  to  his  eyes,  "  For 
the  hurt  of  the  daughter  of  my  people  am  I  hurt." 

He  was  Mr.  Otterbein's  closest  personal  friend. 
Otterbein  loved  to  be  at  no  other  place  as  he  loved 
to  be  at  Geeting's  on  the  Antietam.  There  is 
something  deeply  pathetic  in  the  attachments  of 
these  two  men,  ministers  in  the  same  great  work 
— attachments  that  were  not  broken  or  impaired 
through  the  most  critical  and  troubled  times. 
Bishop  Asbury  knew  Geeting  well,  and  placed  his 
encomium  upon  him.  Henry  Boehm,  who  often 
heard  him  preach,  calls  him  "a  splendid  preacher," 
the  "  most  splendid  orator  among  the  United 
Brethren  in  Christ."  After  old  age  had  robbed 
Mr.  Otterbein  of  some  of  his  wonted  power,  some- 
times his  out-door  audiences  would  scatter  some- 


316  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

what  from  the  stand,  but  when  Geeting  would 
rise  to  speak,  as  is  still  remembered  by  living 
witnesses,  his  magnetic  power  and  melting  tones 
would  draw  the  people  compactly  about  him. 

On  the  28th  of  June,  1812,  this  servant  of  God 
calmly  fell  asleep.  Accompanied  by  his  wife  he 
had  gone  to  Baltimore  to  spend  a  week  or  two 
with  Otterbein.  He  preached  once  more  in  Otter- 
bein's  pulpit.  Becoming  indisposed,  he  shortened 
his  visit  and  set  out  for  home.  He  put  up  the 
second  night  about  thirty  miles  from  Balti- 
more, at  a  public-house  kept  by  a  Mr.  Snyder, 
where  on  similar  visits  he  had  often  stopped,  He 
became  worse  during  the  night.  He  spoke  to 
those  about  him  of  the  Christian's  hope.  To- 
ward morning  it  became  evident  that  the  end  was 
near.  Mr.  Spayth  may  tell  the  rest:  "He  became 
silent,  and  then  said,  'I  feel  as  though  my  end 
had  come.  Hark!  hark! — who  spoke?  Whose 
voice  is  this  I  hear?  Light!  light!  what  golden 
light!  Now  all  is  dark  again!  Please  help  me 
out  of  this  bed.'    They  did  so.    'Now  let  us  sing — 

Homin'  du  lang  verlangte  Stunde, 
Komra'  du  Lebensgeist  von  oben ; 

O  wie  soil  mem  frober  Munde 
Jesu  deine  Treue  loben. 

Wann  mich  deine  Liebesmacht, 
Dir  zu  dienen  frei  gemacbt,' 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  31V 


TRANSLATION. 


Come,  thou  long  expected  moment, 
Conie,  thou  Spirit  from  on  high, 

'Tis  thy  call,  my  Lord  and  Master; 
How  shall  I  express  my  joy, 

When  thy  grace  and  power  of  love, 
Bids  me  rise  to  climes  above? 

"He  now  sunk  on  his  knees,  leaning  against 
the  bed,  and  prayed  fervently,  giving  thanks  to 
God  for  his  abundant  mercy  toward  him,  his  un- 
profitable servant.  A  prayer,  this  was,  offered 
up  at  the  very  gate  of  heaven,  and  in  it,  mark 
you,  there  was  no  doubt,  no  fear,  no  desire  for  a 
longer  stay  on  earth;  but  God  the  Father  was 
confidently  asked,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ 
our  Savior,  to  look  upon  him,  to  hear  and  accept 
this  his  petition,  to  receive  his  poor  servant,  and 
to  take  him  to  himself,  for  the  sake  of  the  great 
love  wherewith  he  had  loved  him,  and  delivered 
him  from  all  evil. 

"  He  was  helped  into  bed  again,  and,  in  about 
fifteen  minutes,  while  his  hands  were  calmly 
folded,  his  ransomed  spirit  fled."  He  was  in  the 
seventy-second  year  of  his  age,  and  had  spent 
forty  years  in  the  ministry. 

The  death  of  Christian  Newcomer,  who  ended 
his  labors  with  his  life  eighteen  years  later,  was 
similar  to  that  of  Geeting.  But  to  attempt  a 
further  account  of  this  persevering  associate  of 


318  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

Mr.  Otterbein,  and  so  largely  the  successor  to  his 
burdens,  is  beyond  the  present  purpose. 

In  the  next  chapter  will  1x3  given  some  inci- 
dents of  Mr.  Otterbein's  life,  and  in  the  next 
following  will  be  given  any  of  Mr.  Otterbein". 
papers  not  already  given  that  are  still  extant  aiu; 
accessible. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

DOMESTIC    LIFE MISCELLANEOUS    INCIDENTS. 

Situation  at  the  Parsonage  —  The  Drucks  Family  —  Domestic 
Incidents  —  Personal  Habits  —  Benevolence — Otterbein  and 
His  Carriage-Boys  —  Otterbein  in  the  Family  —  As  Preacher 
and  Pastor — Oppositions  —  Figures —  Freemasonry  —  Unfa- 
vorable Incidents. 


ttwfr 


|8f  T  is  proposed  to  give  in  this  chapter  facts 

IS*    in  regard  to  Mr.  Otterbein's  more  private 

life,  and  miscellaneous  incidents  for  which 


no  suitable  place  has  been  found  in  the  pre- 
ceding pages.  Some  of  the  things  given  may 
be  wanting  in  dignity  and  illustrative  quality,  or, 
for  some  other  reason,  may  be  deemed  unsuitable 
to  appear  here.  But  it  may  be  supposed  that  in 
consequence  of  their  being  what  they  are  they 
iave  been  handed  down;  and  from  the  scantiness 
of  our  knowledge  as  to  Mr.  Otterbein's  every-day 
life,  it  is  deemed  best  to  present  such  examples  as 
have  survived  thus  far  the  accidents  of  time. 
Thoughtful  persons  will  consider,  too,  that  the 
life  of  no  one,  however  great  or  however  en- 
gaged, is  constantly  attended  with  imposing  cir- 
cumstances. 

319 


320  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

When    Mr.   Otterbein   went   to    Baltimore   his 

wife  had  already  been  dead  six  years.  For  forty 
additional  years  he  was  to  walk  alone.  The  par- 
sonage that  was  erected  for  him  in  1785  was  a 
small  cottage  of  four  rooms.  For  years  Miss 
Elizabeth  Schwope  kept  house  for  him.  After 
his  death  she  was  married  to  a  Mr.  Brevett.  The 
house  stood  close  to  the  street,  in  front  of  where 
the  present  parsonage  stands.  Mr.  Otterbein's 
study  was  on  the  side  of  the  house  next  to  the 
church.  He  possessed  a  good  library,  and  spent 
much  of  his  time,  when  at  home,  in  his  study. 
While  his  manner  of  life  was  simple,  it  was  also, 
in  every  way,  what  was  required  of  a  person  in 
his  position.  He  cultivated  flowers,  and  the  chil- 
dren that  had  occasion  to  come  to  the  parsonage 
were  made  glad  by  a  bouquet  plucked  by  his  hand. 
Everything  was  kept  scrupulously  clean.  Even 
the  barn  where  he  kept  his  cow  had  frequently  to 
undergo  a  thorough  whitewashing. 

Some  facts  in  reference  to  domestic  life  at  the 
parsonage  were  handed  down  by  Catharine  and 
Elizabeth  Drucks,  who  served  in  his  house  as 
domestics.  The  Drucks  family,  consisting  of 
father  and  mother,  one  son,  and  three  daughters, 
were  redemptioners:  that  is,  when  they  came  to 
America  their  time  was  sold  to  pay  their  passage- 
money.    Catharine  subsequently  worked  at  Otter- 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  821 

bein's.  She  was  afterward  married,  and  finally 
came  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  members  of  her 
family  still  live.  When  Catharine  left  the  parson- 
age, her  sister  Elizabeth  took  her  place;  and  so 
great  was  Otterbein's  esteem  for  her  that  he  made 
her  a  gift  through  his  will.  His  household  effects 
were  for  the  most  part  divided  out  to  those  that 
had  served  in  his  house.  By7  these  persons  he 
was  ever  remembered  for  his  uniform  kindness. 

Mr.  Otterbein  would  always  have  all  that  lived 
with  him  to  attend  church.  It  is  said  that  he 
would  go  to  market  every  Saturday,  and  that  as 
long  as  turkeys  could  be  had  he  would  bring  a 
small  one  home.  This  he  would  have  prepared 
and  partially  roasted,  and  when  church-time  came 
it  was  placed  in  a  small  oven  moderately  heated, 
there  to  remain  until  the  family  returned  from 
church. 

He  was  very  precise  as  to  his  dress  and  appear- 
ance. When  away  from  home  and  having  occa- 
sion to  have  washing  done,  he  would  sometimes, 
or  at  some  places,  stand  by  and  tell  how  his  shirt- 
bosoms  should  be  ironed. 

In  earlier  times  he  wore  a  pulpit  gown  while 
preaching,  but  not  in  later  times.  In  later  times, 
too,  instead  of  the  regular  clergyman's  suit,  he 
wore  the  usual  citizen's  suit. 

He  was  very  systematic  and  regular  in  his  hafe- 


322  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

its.  In  the  management  of  the  house  everything 
was  under  strict  system.  He  was  very  regular  in 
the  matter  of  family  worship.  The  first  part  of 
every  Friday  it  was  his  custom  to  fast,  and  during 
this  time  he  always  remained  at  home.  On  Fri- 
day afternoons  he  met  his  catechetical  class. 
Among  the  children  he  was  always  tender,  solic- 
itous, and  impressive. 

Toward  the  close  of  his  life  he  always  went  to 
Andrew  Bruner's  on  Friday  evenings,  and  there 
took  his  evening  meal.     Mr.  Bruner  was  for  some 
time  a  member  of  his  vestry.    He  was  a  sugar-re- 
finer,  and   always  kept   Mr.  Otterbein    supplied 
with  loaf-sugar,  of  which  he  was  very  fond.     It 
was  his  way  to  take  the  sugar  into   his  mouth 
and  then  drink  his  coffee  over  it,  a  habit  in  which 
he  was  not  alone.     A  daughter  of  Andrew  Bru- 
ner, Mrs.   Hoffman,    still    living   at   the    age    of 
eighty-six  years,  remembers  much  of  Mr.  Otter- 
bein.    She  was  baptized  and  catechised  by  him. 
After  a  time  it  was  thought  that  Mr.  Otterbein 
ought   to    have    a   better  parsonage.     "When  the 
street  that  ran  west  of  the  church  was  changed 
from  its  diagonal  course,  considerable  space  was 
left  in  front  of  the  church,  which  was  afterward 
used  for  building-sites.     On  the  corner  above  the 
church  a  commodious  and  substantial  parsonage 
was  erected.     Mr.  Otterbein,  however,  preferred 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  82?, 

to  stay  in  the  cottage,  and  directed  that  the  new 
parsonage  should  he  rented,  and  the  money  given 
to  the  poor. 

His  kindness  toward  the  poor  manifested  itself 
in  constant  deeds  of  charity.  Two  old  ladies  that 
were  members  of  his  church,  Mrs.  Rupp  and  Mrs. 
Hess,  he  almost  kept  out  of  his  private  means. 

The  following  is  an  example  of  his  liberal 
spirit:  A  suit  of  clothing  was  much  worn,  and 
his  friends  sent  him  cloth  for  a  new  suit.  Still 
the  old  garments  were  worn.  When  asked  if  his 
tailor  had  forgotten  him,  he  wiped  a  tear  from  his 
eye,  and  pointed  to  some  indigent  persons  oppo- 
site his  house.  After  this  incident,  some  of  his 
friends  frequently  furnished  him  with  suitable 
kinds  of  cloth  for  distribution. 

Another  incident,  showing  that  with  him  true 
humanity  and  true  Christianity  were  one,  may  be 
given.  He  frequently  called  upon  John  Hildt,  a 
member  of  his  vestry  that  had  a  conveyance, 
and  said:  "  John,  hitch  up;  I  will  ride  out."  He 
then  would  have  him  drive  from  one  store  to 
another,  to  stores  belonging  to  persons  out  of  the 
church  as  well  as  to  those  belonging  to  his  own 
members.  He  would  ask  the  owners  in  a  plain 
simple  way  to  give  him  so  much  flour,  sugar, 
or  cloth,  as  the  case  might  be;  and  so  great  was 
his  influence  over  the  people  in  general,  that  his 


324  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

requests  were  never  refused.  lie  would  have 
Mr.  Hildt  take  him  from  one  poor  person  to  an- 
other, until  the  several  cases  of  want  were  re- 
lieved. He  would  then  say,  "  Now  John,  drive 
me  home  again."  This  same  course  he  would 
repeat  as  often  as  similar  cases  of  want  presented 
themselves. 

His  kindness  of  heart  showed  itself  in  many 
other  ways.  Major  George  Grandstaff,  who  died 
in  1878  at  the  age  of  ninety-one,  was  sometimes 
sent,  when  a  hoy,  to  bring  Mr.  Otterbein  from 
Hagerstown,  Maryland,  to  meetings  that  were 
appointed  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  in  Virginia, 
the  distance  between  the  points  being  eighty-live 
miles.  He  often  related  how,  when  the  weather 
was  bad,  Mr.  Otterbein  took  him  between  his 
knees  and* wrapped  his  great  coat  about  him. 

The  same  disposition  expressed  itself  in  the 
form  of  a  general  principle  on  another  occasion. 
A  boy  had  been  sent  by  his  father  to  take  him 
from  York  County,  Pennsylvania,  back  to  Balti- 
more. During  a  slight  rain  the  carriage  was 
driven  up  before  a  substantial  farm-house,  where 
Mr.  Otterbein  had  frequently  stopped.  A  low 
fence  in  front  was  to  be  crossed  by  walking  over 
inclined  planks,  leaning  from  each  side  to  the  top 
of  the  fence.  As  the  man  that  came  out  to  greet 
them  started  down  the  incline,  his  feet,  from  the 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  325 

slipperiness  of  the  plank,  went  ont  from  under 
him,  and  he  came  down  flat  upon  his  back.  This 
was  too  much  for  the  boy,  and  he  broke  out  into 
an  unrestrained  laugh.  Mr.  Otterbein  turned  to 
him  with  a  look  that  at  once  subdued  his  mirth, 
and  said  in  words  that  the  boy  always  remem- 
bered, "  Never  laugh  at  another  person's  misfor- 
tune." 

With  some  of  the  boys  that  were  thus  sent  to 
take  Mr.  Otterbein  back  and  forth  the  task  was 
not  so  pleasant.  Some  had  a  fear  of  him  because 
he  seemed  to  them,  such  a  holy  man,  and  because 
he  talked  to  them  in  regard  to  their  souls.  Also, 
when  unconverted  men  took  him  from  place  to 
place  he  pressed  the  matter  of  their  salvation 
so  upon  them  that,  as  some  of  them  expressed  it, 
it  seemed  that  the  end  of  the  journey  and  the 
chance  to  get  away  from  his  dreaded  presence 
would  never  come.  Some  of  them  did  not  get 
away  from  the  dread  that  he  inspired  until  they 
were  new  creatures  in  Christ. 

In  the  family,  Mr.  Otterbein  was  always  socia- 
ble, taking  notice  of  every  person  present,  even 
to  the  youngest.  He  frequently  visited  Rev. 
Adam  Ettinger's.  Mr.  Ettinger  had  been  a  min- 
ister in  the  Reformed  Church,  but  afterward  sided 
with  the  United  Brethren.  Hi*  son,  also  named 
Adam,  afterward  a  minister  among  the  followers 


3Z6  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

of  Ji^ub    Albright,  relates  that  ay  Mr.  Otterbein 

was  making  the  acquaintance  of  the  different 
memhers  of  the  family  he  came  to  him.  He  then 
said,  "And  wn  at  is  your  name?"  "Adam,"  was 
the  reply.  "  Alam?"  said  Mr.  Otterhein.  "Oh! 
Adam  ate  the  apple."  While  always  making 
himself  agreeable,  he  yet  always  inspired  rever- 
ence and  esteem. 

When  spending  ixxi  evening  at  a  place  his  cus- 
tom was,  when  the  hour  for  worship  came,  to 
call  about  him  the  members  of  the  family  and 
any  others  that  might  be  present;  and  he  then 
would  read  a  portion  of  God's  word.  He  would 
then  inquire  separately  of  each  one  old  enough 
to  understand  such  matters  in  regard  to  his  or 
her  religious  state.  He  would  then  give  such 
advice  and  instruction  as  the  case  of  each  seemed 
to  require.  After  this  acquaintance  with  the 
condition  of  each  he  would  offer  a  prayer  in 
which  the  wants  of  all  would  be  remembered. 

Mr.  Otterbein's  preaching  has  already  been  re- 
ferred to,  under  different  forms.  Yet  an  incident 
or  two  in  this  line  ma}7  be  added.  The  following 
was  related  by  an  old  lady,  who,  when  a  girl, 
heard  him  preach  in  Hagerstown.  "  I  never  saw 
him  or  heard  him  preach  except  that  one  time, 
He  was  not  what  I  would  call  a  loud  speaker, 
though  he  spok'   plainly  and  with  much  power. 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  327 

He  preached  on  repentance  and  the  way  of  sal- 
vation, and  I  never  heard  the  way  laid  down  so 
plainly  as  he  laid  it  down  that  day.  I  was  forced 
to  weep  all  the  time  that  he  was  preaching.  I 
well  remember  as  he  closed  the  Bible  how  he 
stretched  his  hands  out  toward  the  congregation 
and  said,  '  This  is  the  way,  and  long  have  I  de- 
sired to  come  and  to  tell  yon  of  it.'  Some  did 
not  like  the  sermon,  but  it  Avas  the  first  sermon 
that  reached  my  heart." 

When  very  old,  he  was  once  preaching  to  an 
out-door  audience,  and  as  he  proceeded,  owing 
perhaps  in  part  to  the  difficulties  under  which  he 
spoke,  his  bodily  strength  became  almost  fully 
exhausted.  He  raised  his  eyes  and  hands  toward 
heaven  and  exclaimed,  "  0  Lord,  help  me  this 
one  time  more  to  preach  thy  word."  From  this 
point  in  his  sermon  on  to  its  close  he  was  able  to 
speak  with  great  spirit  and  power. 

A  very  ludicrous  incident,  and  certainly  an 
unsafe  one  for  imitation,  is  the  following:  He 
was  preaching  at  one  time  against  great  odds. 
He  had  both  the  oppressiveness  of  the  day  and 
the  drowsiness  of  the  audience  to  labor  against. 
He  was  used  to  speaking  to  open  ears.  Though 
generally  so  serious  and  decorous  in  his  speech, 
he  bethought  to  regain  his  audience  by  taking  a 
course  that  they  did,  not  expect  when  they  thought 


328  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

that  it  was  perfectly  safe  for  them  to  drowse  and 
trust  him.  He  therefore  reached  to  the  back  of 
his  head,  and  then  as  if  having  found  something 
there  held  it  up  before  the  audience,  and  in  some 
lines  that  he  must  have  learned  in  his  playful 
boyhood  thus  addressed  it: 

11  Du  bist  em  artnes  Thier  und  klein, 
Von  Tod  und  Noth  umgeben ; 

Du  saufst  das  Blut  aus  Mark  und  Bein 
Es  kostet  Dir  dein  Leben. 

Du  bist  eine  Laus  und  keine  Kuh, 

Ich    druecke  Dir  die  Kehle  zu — 
Hans  Kasper  Du  must  sterben  !  " 

Neglecting  some  of  the  requirements  of  verse, 
it  may  be  rendered  as  follows: 

"  You  are  a  poor  small  creature 

By  death  and  want  surrounded. 
You  draw  the  blood  from  bone  and  marrow; 

It  costs  you,  sir,  your  life. 
You  are  a  louse  and  nothing  more ; 

And  now  I  choke  you  at  your  throat: 
Hans  Kasper,  you  must  die." 

As  he  closed  the  quotation  he  brought  his 
thumb-nails  together  in  a  way  understood  by  all. 
From  this  point  in  his  discourse  on,  his  audience 
kept  both  eyes  and  ears  open. 

Mr.  Otterbein  was  an  excellent  pastor.  His 
labors  in  this  capacity  went  much  beyond  the 
circle  of  his  members.  He  believed  in  personal 
labor,   and  in   meeting;  men  in  the   condition  in 


LITE   OP   OTTERBEIN.  329 

which  they  stood.  His  method  with  a  skeptic 
will  illustrate.  A  Mr.  Zollicoffer,  descended  from 
a  noble  Swiss  family,  was  skeptical,  and  brought 
his  difficulties  to  Mr.  Otterbein.  This  and  that 
he  could  not  understand.  Mr.  Otterbein  asked 
him  if  he  could  understand  how  his  finger-nails 
grew.  It  was  difficult  for  the  skeptic  to  see  how 
so  common  a  thought  could  have  a  bearing  upon 
his  difficulties.  But  as  he  reflected  he  was  con- 
vinced of  the  folly  of  seeking  first  to  remove  all 
difficulties.  He  was  converted  soon  afterward, 
and  became  one  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  principal 
members. 

A  fault-fin  di.ig  professor  once  visited  him,  and 
became  garrulous  in  his  complaints  against  his 
brethren.  In  the  midst  of  his  harangue,  Mr. 
Otterbein  touched  him  on  the  shoulder  and  said, 
"  Stop,  brother,  I  perceive  that  you  have  got  into 
the  devil's  office!"  meaning  that  he  had  become 
an  accuser  of  the  brethren. 

Mr.  Otterbein  would  not  be  the  Otterbein  of 
history  if  no  smell  of  fire  should  be  found  on  his 
clothes.  A  few  incidents  will  be  given  showing 
some  of  his  less  happy  experiences.  He,  in  com- 
pany with  a  man  that  in  1841  was  still  living 
in  Baltimore,  went  out  to  a  certain  place  where 
he  was  to  preach.  They  found  the  doors  and 
windows  of  the  house  all  closed,  and  a  large  col- 


830  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEFN. 

lection  of  people  outside.  Otterbein  asked,  "Why 
is  the  church  not  opened?''  The  answer  was, 
"  We  dare  not  hear  you,  for  you  are  a  Methodist," 
He  did  not  wait  to  argue,  but  went  upon  the 
church  steps  and  began  to  sing.  While  he  sung 
the  doors  were  opened,  and  he  went  in  and 
preached,  not  failing  to  rebuke  the  people  for 
their  sins.  One  of  the  elders  was  a  drunkard. 
In  the  midst  of  his  remarks  Mr.  Otterbein  said, 
"  If  a  drunkard  should  meet  a  dog,  he  ought  to 
lift  his  hat  and  say,  '  Thou  hast  more  sense  than 
I.' ':  This  was  in  the  time  before  drugged  liquors 
and  the  feverish  life  of  more  recent  times  had 
made  it  so  difficult  for  men  to  control  themselves. 
At  the  present  time  the  chief  odium  is  on  the 
drink-seller.  The  effect  of  Mr.  Otterbein's  ser- 
mon—  of  the  spirit  back  of  it  rather  than  of  a 
few  severe  words  in  it — proved  highly  wholesome 
in  the  community. 

The  above  instance  was  not  the  only  case  of 
Mr.  Otterbein's  being  locked  out  of  a  church. 
Among  other  instances,  he  was  locked  out  of  the 
church  at  Sharpsburg,  Maryland,  on  an  occasion 
when  he  was  to  preach  a  funeral  discourse. 

At  one  time  some  opponents  of  Mr.  Otterbein 
in  Baltimore  induced  a  person  of  vile  character 
to  give  out  reports  damaging  to  his  reputation, 
and  then  to  go  to  one  of  his  class-meetings  to 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  381 

face  him  clown  and  to  throw  confusion  into  the 
meeting.  But  the  effort  was  so  far  from  success- 
ful that  the  hold  sinner,  under  the  spirit  of  the 
meeting,  came  under  conviction  and  confessed  to 
the  conspiracy. 

Mr.  Otterbein  was  much  given  to  speaking 
through  figures  or  symhols.  He  once  visited  a 
Mr.  Martina.  During  the  conversation  he  asked 
him  where  he  attended  church.  On  receiving  his 
answer  Mr.  Otterbein  replied,  "  As  the  beast,  so 
is  the  food."  The  answer  continued  to  ring  in 
Martina's  ears,  and  finally  led  him  to  seek  more 
and  truer  light.  He  became  a  sincere  Christian 
and  a  very  active  worker. 

Mr.  Otterbein  was  once  asked  what  he  thought 
of  the  use  of  an  organ  in  church.  He  replied 
that  it  put  him  in  mind  of  a  boy  in  the  street 
riding  a  stick.  In  other  words,  the  organ  would 
not  help  much. 

At  one  time  there  was  trouble  in  a  Methodist 
church  in  Baltimore  over  the  introduction  of  an 
organ.  The  case  wTas  referred  to  Otterbein  for 
decision.  His  decision  was  against  the  use  of  the 
instrument,  and  this  decision  was  accepted  by  all 
concerned. 

A  minister  once  asked  him  what  he  thought  of 
introducing  political  matters  into  the  pulpit.  He 
answered,  "  He   that    goes   upon  the  sea  will  be 


332  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

tossed  about  by  the  waves,  and  whether  he  will 
get  to  shore  time  must  determine." 

His  opinion  of  freemasonry  will  be  of  interest 
to  many.  The  subject  was  once  brought  up  in 
his  vestry.  Otterbein  answered:  "A  freemason 
can  not  be  a  Christian,"  which  settled  the  ques- 
tion. He  perhaps  meant  that  if  a  man  under- 
stood  the  real  character  of  freemasonry  and  the 
real  character  of  Christianity,  he  could  not  com- 
bine within  himself  the  elements  of  the  two. 
Notwithstanding  the  many  differences  in  regard 
to  this  and  kindred  subjects,  that,  in  recent  times, 
have  appeared  in  the  church  that  Otterbein  was 
the  chief  instrument  in  founding,  the  spirit  of 
Otterbein's  view  is  everywhere  regarded  in  the 
cases  of  ministers,  if  not  everywhere  in  the  cases 
of  the  laity, —  the  ministers  being  persons  that 
are  supposed  to  be  able  to  discern  between  moral 
unlikes,  and  that  are  supposed  to  be  leaders  into 
that  that  is  good,  and  not  misleaders  of  souls. 
Mr.  Wesley,  whose  parallel  with  Otterbein  can 
be  shown  at  a  hundred  points,  gives  the  following 
in  his  journal:  "  I  went  to  Ballymena  and  read 
a  strange  tract  that  professes  to  discover  the 
inmost  recesses  of  freemasonry,  said  to  be  'trans- 
lated from  the  French  original  lately  published  at 
Berlin.'  I  incline  to  think  it  is  a  genuine  account. 
Only  if  it  be,  I  wonder  that  the  author  is  suffered 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  333 

to  live.  If  it  be,  what  an  amazing  banter  upon 
all  mankind  is  freemasonry!"     Toward  the  close 

of  the  eighteenth  century  freemasonry  was  ab- 
horred and  feared  in  Germany,  and  was  shun- 
ned and  suspected  by  all  classes  of  Germans  in 
America. 

As  an  offset  against  any  undue  praise,  and  as  a 
specific  against  undue  exaltation  of  the  past, 
what  may  be  called  unfavorable  incidents  or- facts 
may  not  be  without  a  value.  A  few  such  facts 
connected  with  the  life  of  Mr.  Otterbein,  all  that 
are  known  to  the  writer,  are  these:  Otter- 
bein had  the  habit  of  smoking.  Many  occupy- 
ing similar  stations  used  tobacco  in  some  form. 
Bishop  Asbury  among  the  number.  Likewise, 
along  with  even  the  best  men  of  the  times,  Otter- 
bein's  temperance  principles,  though  strongly 
marked,  did  not  prevent  him  from  allowing  to 
stimulants,  under  strict  limits,  a  permissible  place. 
Another  fact,  not  at  the  time  regarded  as  at  all 
derogatory,  is  that  when  in  1789  the  tower  to  the 
Baltimore  church  was  to  be  erected  and  the  bells 
purchased,  by  a  special  act  of  the  Maryland  leg- 
islature, permission  was  given  for  the  raising  of 
money  by  a  lottery.  Many  churches  in  Pennsyb 
vania  and  Maryland  received  like  "  acts  of  grace," 
as  any  one  can  see  by  looking  through  the  docu- 
ments belonging  to  that  period.     Lotteries  were 


534  LITE    OF    OTTERBEFN". 

not  then  what  they  have  been  in  more  recent 
times.  But  let  no  one  frame  an  apology  for 
tobacco,  stimulants,  or  lotteries.  Let  us  be  grate- 
ful that  our  age,  on  ail  these  subjects,  can  show 
an  improved  sentiment. 


CHAPTEE  XVI. 

otterbein's  extant  papers. 

Scanty  Literary  Remains  —  Destroyed  bis  Papers— Letter  on 
Doctrine  and  Discipline  —  Letter  on  the  Millennium— Letter 
on  the  Theater  —  Letter  to  an  Intemperate  Man  —  Latin  Ser- 
mons —  Sermon  Sketch  —  Books. 

w-f  R.  Otterbein  wrote  little,  and  of  this  lit- 
E  9  ak 

tie  the  very  least  has  been  handed  down. 


His  disinclination  to  writing  appears  in 
the  brevity  and  condensation  of  his  en- 
j£  tries  in  the  church-books  at  the  various  places 
where  he  served  as  pastor.  He  was  a  preacher, 
and  not  a  writer.  When  he  wrote  it  was  to  serve 
a  present  practical  purpose.  A  number  of  letters 
written  by  him  were  preserved  for  a  time,  but 
outside  of  what  have  already  been  inserted  or  re- 
ferred to,  only  about  half  a  dozen  are  known  to 
now  be  in  existence.  The  original  autographs  of 
four  of  these  are  preserved  at  the  publishing  house 
of  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ,  at  Dayton,  Ohio. 
Many  letters  written  by  him  were  doubtless,  at  the 
time  of  his  death  and  for  a  time  afterward,  in  the 
hands  of  individuals  in  different  places.  It  is 
scarcely   strange   that  so  few  of  these  are  now 

extant. 

836 


336  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

What  is  strange  is  that  of  papers  that  mutt 
have  been  in  his  own  hands  scarcely  anything 
remains.  Letters  written  to  him  by  various  per- 
sons, some  records  of  his  work,  and  papers  on  dif- 
ferent subjects  must,  to  some  extent  at  least,  have 
been  collected  in  bis  hands.  His  aversion  to  writ- 
ing, and  the  indisposition  of  some  persons  of  his 
type  of  mind  to  preserve,  papers  after  their  first 
use  harJ  been  served,  would  account  for  scanty  re- 
mains, but  not  for  such  a  complete  absence  of 
papers  of  these  several  classes.  Only  one  letter  to 
him  lias  been  handed  down.  This  was  a  letter 
written  by  a  German  count.  His  goods  were  di- 
vided out;  yet  many  of  his  books  along  with  a 
few  articles  belongi no-  to  the  house  were  left  at 
the  parsonage,  and  if  papers  had  been  in  exist- 
ence they  would  have  been  preserved  at  the  same 
place.  Little  care  was  taken,  however,  by  his 
successors,  of  what  was  left  at  the  parsonage. 
Yet  if  there  had  been  papers  stored  away,  there 
would  certainly  have  been  some  mark  of  their 
subsequent  history. 

All  of  this  lends  support  to  the  statement  pur- 
porting to  have  come  from  Rev.  John  Hildt,  that 
Mr.  Otterbein,  within  the  last  year  of  his  life,  in 
the  presence  of  Mr.  Hildt,  destroyed  his  papers. 
There  seems  to  be  no  room  to  doubt  that  some 
papers,  at  least,  were  thus  destroyed.      The  fact 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  367 

that  Mr.  Otterbeiii  a  short  time  before  he  died 
turned  over  to  John  Hildt  simply  his  ordination 
certificate,  and  perhaps  his  letter  of  recommend- 
ation from  the  Herborn  faculty,  seems  to  indicate 
that  a  few  papers  of  this  character  were  the  only 
ones  that  were  selected  for  preservation.  The 
reasons  for  his  course  were  doubtless  his  well- 
known  modesty,  and  his  determination  to  leave 
his  reputation,  as  well  as  the  work  of  his  life,  to 
that  Providence  to  whom  he  had  committed  his 
life,  his  all. 

The  four  letters  referred  to  above  will  now  be 
given.  Some  of  them,  perhaps  all  of  them,  were 
gathered  by  Rev.  Wm.  Brown,  who  between 
1825  and  1828  was  pastor  of  Otterbein's  congre- 
gation in  Baltimore,  and  who  between  1833  and 
1837  held  the  office  of  bishop.  The  letter  imme- 
diately following  was  written  in  German,  and  is 
without  elate  or  signature.  It  appears  to  be  one 
of  several  letters  written  in  reply  to  a  captious 
opponent  of  the  work  in  which  he  was  engaged. 
The  person  addressed  may  have  been  a  minister. 
The  subjects  presented  in  the  letter  are  sanctifica- 
tion,  justification,  and  church  -  discipline.  On 
sanctification  it  will  be  seen  that  the  view  held 
accords  with  what  is  now  generally  termed  the 
Wesley  an  view.     The  letter  is  as  follows: 

You   ask  what   sanctification  is,  and  what  is 

22 


338  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

accomplished  thereby.  Here  the  best  thing  for 
us  to  do  would  be  that  we  both  pray  for  the 
spirit  of  sanctification,  since  before  we  do  this 
we  can  not  by  any  means  comprehend  it.  The 
word  of  God  speaks,  however,  plainly  enough, 
making  a  difference  between  justification  and 
sanctification.  And  this  difference  accords  also 
with  reason;  for,  is  it  not  one  thing  when  Pha- 
raoh takes  Joseph  from  prison,  and  another  when 
he  enrobes  him  in  kingly  apparel  and  sets  him  a 
prince  over  the  whole  land  of  Egypt? 

You  ask  what  faith  is,  how  we  live  by  it,  and 
how,  through  it,  we  live  continually  free  from 
sin.  That  you  descend  so  low  as  to  ask  what 
faith  is  astonishes  me,  especially  as  you  otherwise 
are  so  high-minded.  But  what  it  is  to  live  by 
faith,  let  your  children,  who  perform  the  duties 
the  mother  enjoins,  and  who  live  meantime  with- 
out caring  for  bread,  tell  you.  He  that  denies 
the  possibility  of  living  without  sin,  denies  God, 
and  deserves  no  other  answer  than  the  one  the 
Savior  gave  the  Sadducees  —  "Ye  do  err,  not 
knowing  the  Scriptures,  nor  the  power  of  God." 
(Matthew  xxii.  29.) 

That  there  is  a  difference,  too,  between  conver- 
sion and  sanctification  we  have  eternal  witness  in 
the  Bible  and  the  types  therein  contained.  God 
acts  according  to  his  free  and  unlimited  power 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  889 

and  wisdom,  calling  one  directly,  another  indi- 
rectly; pulling  some  at  once  fully  from  destruc- 
tion as  a  brand  from  the  burning,  while  with 
others  the  Avork  proceeds  more  slowly. 

Concerning  the  assurance  of  the  forgiveness  of 
sins,  and  wherein  the  same  consists,  David  gives 
us  from  his  own  experience  sufficient  informa- 
tion in  Psalms  xciv.  19,  ciii.  3-5,  cxvi.  1-8.  And 
how  plainly  does  Paul  speak  thereof  in  Romans 
v.  1-3,  viii.  15-23.  I  have,  however,  never  preached 
that  a  person  must  be  converted  in  a  moment, 
and  consequently  you  blame  me  for  something 
that  has  no  foundation  in  fact. 

That  justification  and  the  pardon  of  sin  are 
one  and  the  same  gracious  gift  is  clearly  seen  in 
Acts  xiii.  38  and  39,  and  at  that  we  shall  have  to 
leave  it.  The  pardon  of  sin  is  a  pronouncing 
just,  a  setting  free.  If,  for  instance,  your  neigh- 
bor owes  you  a  sum  of  money,  and  he  comes  to 
your  house  with  a  friend  that  pays  the  money  for 
him,  what  will  you  do.  You  will  now  acquit 
your  neighbor.  This  you  know.  You  ask  how 
this  is  accomplished,  and  what  faith  we  must 
have  before  we  receive  with  certainty  the  pardon 
of  sin.  These  are  questions  with  which  you 
discredit  yourself  not  a  little,  and  if  you  do  not 
reveal  ignorance,  then  the  spirit  of  an  impure 
mind.     You  ask  how  soon  this  work  is  accom 


840  LIFE   OF    OTTEItBEIN. 

plished.  Do  you  mean  what  length  of  time  God 
requires  before  he  justifies  the  sinner  or  pardons 
his  sin?  Then  I  must  tell  you,  you  know  not 
what  you  ask.  But  that  I  may  not  leave  you  in 
the  dark,  I  will  point  you  to  the  high-priest  in 
the  Old  Testament,  who  pronouneed  the  lepers 
elean.  This  will  make  it  plain  to  you  how  soon 
God  may  pardon  a  man's  sin.  And  if  yon  are 
still  unable  to  understand,  then  think  of  your 
neighbor  whom  you  acquitted  of  his  indebtedness 
as  soon  as  his  friend  had  paid  the  money  for  him. 
Then  ask  him  if  he  knows  that  he  is  acquitted, 
and  how  long  it  was  until  he  knew  it. 

But  if  the  sense  of  your  question  is  how  much 
time  the  act  itself  of  justification  or  pardon  re- 
quires, then  I  must  simply  ask  you  again,  how 
much  time,  how  many  hours  or  days  did  it  require 
you  to  acquit  your  neighbor  after  his  friend 
paid  the  debt  for  him?  And  if  this  is  not  suf- 
ficient, then  ask  a  judge  who  by  a  grant  of  par- 
don spared  the  life  of  a  thief,  how  many  days  he 
required  for  this  purpose, —  whether  he  acquitted 
the  prisoner  partly  one  day  and  partly  the  next, 
and  so  on  until  at  length  he  was  fully  acquitted. 
I  hope  you  may  here  see  yourself  in  your  igno- 
rance. 

On  the  matter  of  church-discipline  you  com- 
plain.   I  find  the  best  discipline  in  Matthew  xviii.r 


LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN.  341 

and  will  in  the  future  do  all  tilings  in  accordance 
therewith.  Therefore  your  question  on  this  point 
was  unnecessary. 

Your  questions  are  herewith  answered.  You 
will  likely  think  my  answers  unbecoming  and 
derisive.  I  have  for  a  long  time  spoken  in  a 
friendly  way  with  you,  and  you  have  become 
unbecoming,  and  I  find  it  now  time  to  answer 
foolishness  with  foolishness.  But  I  mock  you  not, 
but  would  show  you  that  while  you  think  your- 
self smart,  you  make  yourself  to  scoff  and  mock. 

The  next  letter,  rather  part  of  a  letter,  is  on 
the  subject  of  the  millennium.  It  is  written  in 
English,  and  shows  that  Mr.  Otterbein,  at  the 
time  when  it  was  written,  had  fairly  mastered  the 
English  language.  The  words  are  appropriate 
and  the  constructions  good.  The  orthography, 
though,  represents  the  words  as  a  German  would 
pronounce  them.  The  letter  gives  the  generally- 
accepted  doctrine  on  the  subject  presented.  The 
following  is  the  letter: 

The  subject  upon  which  you  request  me  to  give 
my  opinion  has  employed  the  minds  of  many 
pious  men;  and  Christians  are  divided  upon  it. 
They  generally  believe  —  and  that  is  my  opinion 
too— that  there  is  in  prospect  a  more  glorious  state 
of  the  church  than  ever  has  been;  and  this  we  call 


342  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

the  millennium.  Some  of  tliem  believe  that  Christ 
will  personally  reign  in  his  church  on  earth  a 
thousand  years;  but  the  best  and  most  judicious 
divines  do  not  believe  that.  And  in  this  I  agree 
with  them.  And,  with  respect  to  the  resurrection 
of  David,  I  do  not  see  one  sentence  in  divine  rev- 
elation to  countenance  this  opinion. 

Some  of  the  divines  have  gone  so  far  as  to  fix 
the  precise  year  when  this  glorious  state  of  the 
church  will  begin.  I  think  it  wise  in  all  to  be 
cautious  about  forming  opinions  upon  all  subjects 
that  the  Scriptures  do  not  decide.  The  divines 
agree  that  before  this  happy  time  the  antichrist, 
the  man  of  sin,  will  appear  (II.  Thessalonians  ii. 
3,  4),  and  that  in  his  time  Christians  will  be 
persecuted  —  the  antichrist  will  persecute  them  — 
in  a  manner  they  never  have  been  persecuted 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

It  appears  from  revelation,  and  it  is  the  opinion 
of  the  best  divines,  that  before  the  millennium 
begins  the  seven  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  will 
be  poured  out,  and  that  the  scattered  Jews  will  be. 
must  be  gathered,  and  the  fullness  of  the  gentiles 
brought  in,  before  the  millennium  can  be  accom- 
plished in  its  full  extent.  It  is  certain  that  these 
great  events  will  come,  and  they  seem  to  be  at  the 
door.  The  prophecies  will  he  fulfilled,  and  they 
are  fulfilling  from  day  to  day,  and  you  may  live 


LIFE   OF  OTTERSEIN.  343 

to  see  great  things.  But  what  to  do  now?  Hear 
what  Christ  says:  "Therefore  be  ye  also  ready, 
for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of 
man  eometh."  And  that  is  the  best  thing  we 
can  do — make  our  calling  and  election  sure.  The 
grace  of  the  Lord  be  with  you.  My  respects  to 
Mr.  liubler,  your  father,  mother,  and  sister. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

W.  Otterbein. 

The  next  letter,  also  written  in  English,  is  on 
the  subject  of  the  theater.  On  the  26th  day  of 
December,  1811,  the  theater  at  Richmond,  Vir- 
ginia, took  fire  during  an  exhibition,  and  seventy- 
two  persons  lost  their  lives.  The  wife  and  daugh- 
ter of  a  cousin  of  Mr.  Otterbein  were  among 
the  unfortunate  votaries  of  pleasure  that  thus 
came  to  an  untimely  death.  The  present  letter 
was  written  by  Mr.  Otterbein  to  his  cousin  soon 
after  his  great  bereavement. 

Baltimore,  February  16th,  1812. 
Dear  Cousix: — I  lament  the  untimely  death  of 
your  beloved  wife  and  daughter.  It  is  shocking 
to  think  of  it.  A  hundred  immortal  souls  have 
been  hurried,  and  that  unexpectedly,  in  less  than 
an  hour's  time,  into  an  awful  eternity!  Did  that 
happen  by  chance?  The  wicked  and  unbelieving 
may  imagine  it.   The  Christian,  who  believes  in  a 


344  LIFE  OF  OTTERBEIN, 

world-governing  God,  and  in  the  divinity  of  the 
Bible,  sees  the  hand  of  the  Almighty,  without 
whose  will  not  one  hair  could  fall  from  our  head, 
even  on  such  a  calamitous  night.  Do  the  inhab- 
itants of  Richmond  see  this?  I  wish  they  may, 
but  I  fear  not  many  will.  The  committee  made 
a  resolve  to  abstain  from  all  worldly  pleasure  — 
dancing,  for  example  — for  four  months.  Only 
four  months!  And  what  afterward?  May  they 
then  play  and  dance  again?  It  seems  so.  But 
this  appears  from  another  resolve:  the  commit- 
tee hope  that  their  calamity  will  be  a  warning, 
that  no  theater  should  be  permitted  to  be  opened 
until  eveiw  facility  has  been  provided  for  the 
escape  of  the  audience.  Oh,  shame!  How  God- 
offending  and  God-mocking  is  this  resolve.  If 
they  had  made  a  resolve  against  the  building  of 
another  play-house,  they  would  have  done  honor 
to  themselves,  to  God,  and  to  religion. 

And  what  do  the  play-actors  say?  It  is  sur- 
prising! They  are  sorry;  and  what  for?  Is  it 
for  the  souls  that  perished  on  that  terrible  night, 
and  of  whose  blood  they  are  guilty?  By  no 
means.  These  deluded  and  hardened  sinners  are 
sorry  but  for  the  loss  they  have  suffered.  They 
are  afraid  that  they  will  be  banished  from  Rich- 
mond. Oh,  may  this  prove  to  be  true!  Oh,  that 
vou  actors  may  be  banished,  not  only  from  Rich- 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  845 

mond,  but  from  every  town  and  city  in  America! 
The  angels  in  heaven  would  rejoice  at  this.  Woe 
unto  you,  you  devoted  servants  of  the  devil ! 
Unhappy  men !  You  have  destroyed  hundreds  in 
Richmond.  You  are  guilty  of  their  blood,  and 
the  righteous  God  will  certainly  require  it  from 
your  hands  in  the  day  of  judgment.  Tremble! 
Oh,  tremble!  How  will  you  escape  the  damna- 
tion of  hell  except  you  turn  and  repent?  May 
the  Lord  give  you  grace. 

And  what  do  you  say,  my  dear  cousin?  You 
have  lost  a  beloved  wife  and  a  dear  child.  Do  you 
see  and  feel  the  hand  that  lies  so  heavy  on  you? 
I  know  you  do.  But  do  you  see  and  feel  that  terri- 
ble evil,  the  sin,  that  brought  this  calamity  upon 
you?  Awake!  my  dear  cousin,  awake!  The 
Lord  has  blessed  you  with  the  temporal  things 
of  this  world.  But  what  are  all  these  but  vanity? 
I  know  you  would  give  your  houses  and  all  your 
silver  if  you  could  call  back  your  wife  and  child. 
It  is  impossible.  Thank  God  that  you  are  alive 
yet.  Adore  the  hand  that  has  afflicted  you.  Pray 
for  grace.  Oh,  don't  neglect  that!  Cry  aloud! 
The  Lord  is  merciful.  Pray  for  grace  to  repent 
and  believe.  W.  Otterbein. 

The  remaining  letter  was  addressed  to  a  man 
that  in  1804  was  a  member  of  Mr.  Otterbein's 
church  in  Baltimore,  but  that  afterward  left  Bal- 


846  LIFE  OF  OTTFRBEIN. 

timore,  and  fell  into  intemperate  habits.  While 
the  letter  says  nothing  of  total  abstinence  in  gen- 
eral,— the  necessity  of  this  not  at  that  time  being 
generally  apprehended, —  it  certainly  discourses 
total  abstinence  to  persons  in  the  condition  of  the 
person  addressed.  The  letter  was  written  in 
German,  and  for  energy  of  exhortation  and  godly 
interest  in  an  insnared  soul,  it  furnishes  a  truly 
lofty  example.  The  letter  will  be  given  in  Ger- 
man, as  well  as  in  English,  in  deference  to  the 
request  of  certain  friends,  who  desire  to  have 
some  of  the  expressions  of  Otterbein  in  his  orig- 
inal German. 

Baltimore,  Juni  5,  1807. 
Freund  Hoeflich  !  —  Soviel  Muehe  mir  auch 
das  Schreiben  machet,  so  bin  ich  in  meinem  Ge- 
wissen  gedrungen  dieses  wenige  zu  schreiben. 
Ich  habe  wohl  nichts  weniger  vermuth et,  denn 
von  Zeit  zu  Zeit  solche  unangenehme  Nachricht 
zu  erhalten.  Ihr  seid,  seitdem  Ihr  Baltimore  ver- 
lassen  habt,  clem  starken  Getraenk  ueber  die 
Maszen  ergeben.  Ihr  waret  schon  bei  einigen 
eurer  Freunden,  da  Ihr  noch  bei  uns  waret,  dess- 
wegen  in  Yerdacht ;  da  wir  aber  nicht  gewiss  da- 
von  waren,  daher  hoffeten  wir,  es  geschaehe  Euch 
Unrecht  an  dem,  somit,  dass  wir  besser  von  Euch 
gedacht  denn  es  war.  0,  wie  sehr  kraenkt  uns 
das!     Ueberall  muessen  wir  hoeren,  der  Hoeflich 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIXc  847 

ist  ein  grosser  Saeufer.  Ists  moeglich!  Em  Mann 
tier  die  Wahrheit  erkennet  und  bekennet,  ist  so 
sclirecklich  verfallen.  Das  haben  wir  nicht  ver- 
niuthet.  Wir  hofften,  Ihr  wuerdet  ein  Salz  in 
eurer  Nachbarschaft  sein,  ein  Licht  und  Leiter. 
Es  ist  das  Gegentbeil.  Mein  Ereund,  Ibr  bringet 
Eucli  in  Unglneck.  Ihr  kraenket  eure  Familie, 
eure  Kinder  verachten  Euch.  Doch  das  ist  das 
Wenigste.  Ein  Mann  der  Gott  mit  clem  Mimde 
bekennet,  und  verleugnet  Ilm  mit  seinen  Werken, 
das  ist  schrecklich.  0,  Hoeflich !  Ibr  gehet  ver- 
loren.  Das  ist  nicht  alles;  Ihr  schaclet  dem  Chris- 
tenth  am,  und  inclem  Ihr  den  Gottlosen  in  seinen 
Suenden  steifet,  so  reizet  Ihr  Andere,  und  machet 
Euch  an  Ihrem  Blute  schuldig,  damit  Ihr  Euch 
ein  schreckliches  Urtheil  zuziehet.  Erzittert,  und 
schlasret  in  Euch.  Entweder  muesset  Ihr  Euch 
entschliessen  zur  Hoelle  zu  gehen,  oder  Ihr  mues- 
set aufgeben.  Es  ist  nicht  anclers,  und  das  wisset 
Ihr  und  glaubet  es.  Hoeilich!  Hoeflich!  Bes- 
sert  Euch  schnell.  Gebet  auf.  Es  ist  Zeit.  Gebet 
auf,  sonst  wird  Euch  Gott  aufgeben,  und  dann, 
0  wehe !  Ihr  fraget :  Ist  mir  denn  noch  zu  hel- 
fen  ?  Es  ist,  ja  es  ist.  Eure  Kraft  ist  zu  wenig; 
die  Kraft  des  Allmaechtigen  aber  vermags.  Ihr 
muesset  aber  das  starke  Getraenk  aufgeben.  Ihr 
muesset  es  ganz  auforebon.  Und  duerft  Ihr  Euch 
besinnen?     Ists   nicht   besser   hier    Durst   leiden 


348  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

tlenn  in  der  Hoelle  duersten,  und  das  ewig,  und 
Fein  leiden.  O,  entschliesset  Euch.  Das  muss  Ich 
Each  sageu:  Ilir  werdet  Arbeit  kriegen.  Der 
Satan  wird  Euch  nicht  soleichtlosgeben.  Indes- 
sen  duerft  Ihr  nicht  bangle  sein.  Der  allmaech- 
tige  Heiland  wird  Euch  beistehen.  Wagets  auf 
Ihn,  Er  wird  Euch  durchhelfen.  Betet,  betet, 
rufet  laut,  haltet  an.  Sagets  eurerFrau  und  Kin- 
der, sagets  euren  werthen  Freunden  dass  sie  Euch 
helfen  beten. 

O,  wie  viel  besser  waeret  Ihr  mit  eurer  Familie 
in  Baltimore  geblieben.  Da  war  dieser  hoellische 
Geist  noch  gebunden.  Ach,  Gott  wolle  sich  ueber 
Euch  erbarmeu.  Das  ist  mein  Wunsch  und  Gebet 
filer  Euch  und  euer  Haus.  Ich  gruesse  Euch  und 
euer  Haus,  die  Christina,  die  Mary,  Grimbel, 
Wahl,  und  alle  andern.  W.  Otterbein, 


TRANSLATION. 


Baltimore,  June  5,  1807. 
Friend  Hoeflich: — -Although  writing  causes 
me  much  trouble,  I  feel  bound  in  my  conscience 
to  write  to  you  these  few  lines.  I  had  not  thought 
to  receive  from  time  to  time  such  unpleasant 
news  from  you.  You  are,  since  you  left  Balti- 
more, above  all  measure  in  the  habit  of  using 
strong  drink.  Some  of  your  friends  had  a  suspi- 
cion of  your  drinking  while  you  were  yet  in  Bal- 
timore;   but  as  we   were   not   sure  about  it  we 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  S49 


hoped  you  were  wronged  in  this,  because  we 
thought  much  Letter  of  you  than  the  facts  war- 
ranted. 

Oh,  this  pains  us  very  much.  We  must  hear 
all  around,  "Hoenich  is  a  great  drunkard."  Is  it 
possible!  A  man  that  knows  the  truth  and  con- 
fesses it  fallen  so  awfully!  This  we  had  not 
expected.  We  hoped  that  you  would  be  salt  in 
your  neighborhood — a  light  and  leader.  Alas! 
it  is  to  the  contrary. 

My  friend,  you  bring  yourself  into  great  calam- 
ity. You  bring  sorrow  upon  your  family.  Your 
children  will  despise,  scorn  you.  But  that  is  the 
least  consideration.  For  a  man  to  profess  God 
with  his  mouth  and  to  deny  him  with  his  works — 
that  is  awful.  0  Hoenich,  you  will  be  lost.  But 
that  is  not  all.  You  hurt  the  cause  of  Christ;  and 
besides  strengthening  the  wicked  in  their  ways, 
you  entice  others  and  become  a  partaker  of  their 
sins,  and  make  yourself  guilty  of  their  blood, 
whereby  you  bring  upon  yourself  an  awful  judg- 
ment. Tremble,  and  turn!  You  must  either 
decide  to  go  to  hell  or  give  up  drinking.  There 
is  no  other  way;  and  this  you  know  and  believe. 
Hoenich,  0  Hoenich,  turn  quickly.  Leave  off;  it 
is  time.  Give  up  drinking;  otherwise  God  will 
give  you  up,  and  then,  oh,  woe ! 

You  ask,  "Is  there  any  help  for  me?  "     There 


350  LIFE   OE    OTTERBEIN. 

can  be;  there  must  be;  there  is.  Your  strength 
is  too  feeble;  but  the  power  of  the  Almighty  is 
sufficient.  But  you  must  give  up  strong  drink. 
You  must  give  it  up  entirely.  And  dare  you 
hesitate?  Is  it  not  much  better  to  suffer  thirst  in 
this  world  than  to  thirst  in  hell  through  eternity? 
Oh,  resolve  to  quit  drinking. 

One  thing  I  must  tell  you,  Satan  will  not  let 
you  loose  very  easily.  But  you  need  not  fear. 
The  almighty  Savior  will  help  you.  Venture 
upon  him;  he  will  sustain  you.  Pray,  pray;  call 
aloud;  persevere.  Tell  your  wife  and  children, 
tell  your  dear  "friends,  to  help  you  pray. 

Oh,  how  much  better  would  it  have  been  if 

you  had  stayed  with  your  family  in  Baltimore. 

At  the  time  when  you  were  here  this  hellish  spirit 

was    yet  bound.      Oh  that   the   Lord  may  have 

mercy  upon  you,  is  my  wish  and  prayer,  for  you 

and  your  house.     I  greet  you  and  your  family; 

also,  Christina,  Mary,  Grimbel,  Wahl,  and  others. 

Your  friend, 

W.  Otterbeln. 

A  small  manuscript-volume  of  Latin  sermons 
that  was  left  by  Mr.  Otterbein  in  the  parsonage 
is  believed  to  belong  to  the  period  of  his  prepara- 
tion for  the  ministry,  or  to  the  time  of  his  min- 
istry in  Germany.  The  book  was  preserved  until 
1853,  but  can  not  now  be  found.     Prof.  John 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  351 

Haywood,  in  1851,  examined  the  collection,  and 
translated  one  of  the  sermons.  This  sermon  was 
based  upon  II.  Peter  ii.  4-9,  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  9th  verse.  Its  aim  was  edification. 
Mr.  Otterbein's  Latin  scholarship  is  well  attested. 
He  read  the  Latin  down  to  the  time  of  his  death 
with  as  much  ease  as  his  own  vernacular.  He 
was  likewise  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  He- 
brew and  Greek.  He  was  also  acquainted  with 
the  Dutch,  and  must  have  had  some  knowledge 
of  the  French. 

We  have  but  one  sermon  sketch  coming  from 
Otterbein.  It  is  the  outline  of  a  sermon  preached 
by  him  at  the  conference  of  1801.  As  Mr.  Otter- 
bein selected  his  texts  with  great  judgment,  the 
text  used  on  that  occasion  will  be  quoted  entire, 
in  connection  with  the  brief  outline  that  has  been 
handed  down.  His  text  was  Jude  twentieth  to  the 
twenty-fifth  verse  inclusive: 

"20.  But  ye,  beloved,  building  up  yourselves 
on  your  most  holy  faith,  praying  in  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

"  21.  Keep  yourselves  in  the  love  of  God,  look- 
ing for  the  mercy  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto 
eternal  life. 

"  22.  And  of  some  have  compassion,  making  a 
difference  : 

"  23     And  others  save  with  fear,  pulling  them 


352  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIX. 

out  of  the  tire;  hating*  even  the  garment  spotted 
by  the  flesh. 

"  24.  Now  unto  him  that  is  able  to  keep  you 
from  falling,  and  to  present  you  faultless  before 
the  presence  of  his  glory  with  exceeding  joy, 

"  25.  To  the  only  wise  God  our  Savior,  be 
glory  and  majesty,  dominion  and  power,  both 
now  and  ever.     Amen." 

The  leading  topics  of  this  discourse  were: 

1.  The  sauctity  of  the  ministerial  office. 

2.  The  character  of  the  men  that  should  take 
upon  them  this  office.  They  must  be  men  of  faith, 
of  prayer,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

3.  The  duties  of  the  office. 

4.  Its  great  responsibilities. 

With  reference  to  this  discourse  of  Otterbein, 
Newcomer  wrote :  "  The  force  with  which  he 
pointed  out  the  greatness,  the  importance,  and 
the  responsibility  of  the  ministerial  office  will 
never  be  forgotten  by  me." 

It  is  said  that  Mr.  Otterbein  possessed  a  large 
library.  He  certainly  esteemed  books.  When 
the  second  volume  of  his  brother's  work  (George 
Godfrey's)  on  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  was 
published,  he  had  fifty  copies  brought  to  this 
country.  Of  his  books  there  yet  remain  a  few  at 
Baltimore.  One  of  these  is  a  history  of  the 
martyrs,    published,    in    1571.      The    list    begins 


utftfi    OF    OTTERBEIN".  g53 

with  Abel  ^iA  doses  with  an  account  of  Melanc- 
thon.      Another  work   is   the   Berleburg  Bible- 
commentary  on   the   Old  Testament.     This  is  a 
mystical  work,  but  it  contains  much  that  is  good. 
At  Berleburg,  where  this  commentary  was"  pro- 
duced, John  Daniel  Otterbein  served,  in  different 
capacities,  for  a  number  of  years.     Others  of  Mr. 
Otterbein's  books  are  preserved  at  different  places. 
From  the  contents  of  this  chapter  it  will  be 
sufficiently  evident  that  the  services  of  Mr.  Otter- 
bein were  not  in  the  line  of  literature.    His  whole 
power  was  exerted  immediately  upon  men   and 
upon  the  features  of  the  times.     His  life  was  a 
constant  grapple  with  forces  that  were  to  be  over- 
come and  with  souls  that  were  to  be  won. 


*t 


CHAPTEE  XVII. 

otterbein' s  last  year. 

Asbury's  Visit — Newcomer  in  Baltimore — Ordination  of  New- 
comer, Hoffman,  and  Schaffer  —  Dr.  Harbaugh's  Views — 
Wm.  Ryland  —  The  Last  Horn— The  Last  Words  — The 
Funeral —  Those  Participating —  His  Age  —  His  Tomb  — His 
Congregation— His  Will— Tributes  of  Asbury,  Dr.  B.  Kurtz, 
Dr.  Zacharias,  and  John  Hildt — Henry  Boehm's  Description 

—  Pictures  of  Otterbein  —  His  Life- Work  —  His  Retrospect 

—  His  Vision  of  the  Future  —  The  Key  to  His  Life  —  His 
Name  Growing  Brighter  —  Recent  Words  —  His  Answers  to 
Asbury's  Questions  —  His  Aim  and  Reward. 

'ARCH  22d,  1813,  Bishop  Asbury  came 
to  Baltimore.  In  the  evening  he  called 
_  '^  upon  Mr.  Otterbein  and  remained  over 
x  :\  night  with  him.  He  made  the  follow- 
jl  mg  entry  m  his  journal:  "  1  gave  an  evening 
to  the  great  Otterbein.  I  found  him  happy 
and  placid  in  God  Ho  says  the  commentators 
are  mistaken  —  that  the  vials  are  yet  to  be  poured 
out."  Almost  every  man  that  meets  this  wicked 
world  face  to  face  asks  himself,  What  is  to  be 
the  outcome?  Some  persons  suddenly  roused^ 
from  deep  slumber  form  untenable  and  perni- 
cious theories  as  to  the  future.  Yet  at  least  a 
partial  view  of  what  is  in  reserve  for  our  world, 

354 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  355 

drawn  in  spirit  and  substance  from  the  Scriptures, 
is  important  for  all.  Mr.  Otterbein  often  turned 
to  the  Scriptures,  and,  by  the  aid  of  prophecy, 
sought  to  forecast  the  character  of  the  times  to 
come.  Henry  Boehm,  who  was  with  Bishop  As- 
bury  at  Mr.  Otterbein's,  says,  "  This  was  an 
evening  I  shall  ever  remember.  Two  noble  souls 
met,  and  their  conversation  was  rich  and  full  of 
instruction.  They  had  met  frequently  before; 
this  was  their  last  interview  on  earth.'' 

A  few  days  after  this  interview  Christian  New- 
comer and  Christian  Crura  visited  Mr.  Otterbein 
in  Baltimore.  June  19th  Mr.  Newcomer  was 
again  in  Baltimore.  He  says:  "Found  Father 
Wm.  Otterbein  weak  and  feeble  in  body,  but  his 
mental  powers  as  strong  as  ever."  This  state- 
ment ought  to  be  an  abundant  answer  to  the 
statement  made  by  some  writers  that  "in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  his  life  his  judgment  failed."  Mr. 
Newcomer  during  his  visit  preached  in  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein's church,  as  also  did  Mr.  Dashields,  an 
Episcopal  minister,  of  whom  we  shall  hear  more 
presently. 

From  this  time  until  October,  Mr.  Otterbein's 
health  continued  gradually  to  fail.  Yet  he  was 
able,  for  the  most  of  the  time,  to  attend  to  his 
ministerial  duties.  He  was  sinking  from  old  age. 
His  fund  of  vitality  was  gone.     To  the  weakness 


356  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

of  old  age  there  was  added  a  distressing  asth 
niatic  affection.  Xot  long  before  the  first  of  Oc- 
tober Rev.  Frederick  Schaffer,  one  of  the  fruits 
of  Mr.  Otterbein's  ministry  at  Lancaster,  "  in  a 
particularly  providential  way,"  came  to  Baltimore* 
and  from  this  time  forward  Mr.  Otterbein  was 
relieved  from  the  work  of  preaching.  The  news 
of  Mr.  Otterbein's  failing  health  was  everywhere 
heard  with  sorrow  by  his  brethren.  Drep  con- 
cern in  regard  to  the  future  of  the  work  begun, 
tilled  the  hearts  of  the  brethren  in  Ohio.  It  was 
everywhere  desired  that  before  Father  Otterbein 
should  depart  he  should  give  to  the  brethren 
raised  up  under  him  formal  ordination  by  the 
laying  on  of  hands.  They  had  specifically  re- 
ceived the  privilege  to  administer  the  sacraments. 
Along  with  Otterbein  they  had  administered  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's-supper  at  Baltimore  and 
elsewhere.  They  had  even  officiated  in  the  ad- 
ministering of  this  ordinance  at  Methodist  meet- 
ings along  with  Methodist  bishops.  But  the 
contempt  that  was  by  some  heaped  upon  their 
minsterial  functions  would  be  still  greater  when 
Otterbein  should  be  taken  away. 

When  news  reached  Joseph  Hoffman,  already 
so  useful  and  subsequently  so  mighty  in  the  min- 
istry, that  Father  Otterbein  was  dangerously  ill, 
he  determined  to  visit  Mr.  Xewcomer,  who  lived 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  357 

ninety  miles  distant,  and  consult  him  as  to  the 
propriety  of  their  going  to  Baltimore  and  receiv- 
ing formal  ordination  before  the  departure  of 
Father  Otterbein.  Mr.  Newcomer  consented  to 
go,  though  the  matter  of  receiving  ordination 
does  not  seem  to  have  so  much  concerned  him. 
October  1st  they  arrived  in  Baltimore.  The  ac- 
count of  what  followed  will  be  given  in  Mr.  New- 
comer's words:  "Old  Father  Otterbein  is  weak  and 
feeble  in  body,  but  strong  and  vigorous  in  spirit, 
and  full  of  hope  of  a  blissful  immortality  and  eter- 
nal life.  He  was  greatly  rejoiced  at  our  arrival. 
He  informed  me  that  he  had  received  a  letter  from 
the  brethren  in  the  West,*  wherein  he  was  re- 
quested to  ordain  me,  by  the  laying  on  of  hands, 
to  the  office  of  elder  and  preacher  of  the  gospel, 
before  his  departure,  adding,  *  I  have  always  con- 
sidered myself  too  unworthy  to  perform  thie.  sol- 
emn injunction  of  the  apostle,  but  now  I  per- 
ceive the  necessity  of  doing  so  before  I  shall 
be  removed.'  He  then  inquired  whether  I  had 
any  objection  to  make,  and  if  not,  whether  the 
present  would  not  be  a  suitable  time.  I  re- 
plied that  I  firmly  believed  solemn  ordination  to 
the  ministry  had  been  enjoined  and  practiced  by 
the  apostles;  therefore,  if,  in  his  opinion,  the  per- 
formance of  the  act  would  be  thought  necessary 

*  According  to  a  formal  resolution  adopted  by  the  conference  in  Ohio. 


358  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

and  beneficial,  I  had  no  objection  to  make  what- 
ever, but  would  cheerfully  consent  —  only  one  ob- 
servation I  wished  to  make;  as  Brothers  Joseph 
Hoffman  and  Frederick  Schaffer  were  present, 
that  he  should  ordain  them  at  the  same  time.  To 
this  he  readily  assented,  and  immediately  ap- 
pointed the  following  day  for  the  performance 
uf  this  solemn  duty. —  2d..  This  afternoon  the 
vestry  and  several  other  members  of  the  church 
assembled  at  the  house  of  Father  Otterbein.  The 
venerable  man  addressed  us  in  so  spiritual  and 
powerful  a  manner  that  all  beheld  him  with  as- 
tonishment. It  appeared  as  if  he  had  received 
particular  unction  from  above  to  perform  this 
solemn  act.  After  addressing  a  throne  of  grace 
with  great  fervency  for  a  blessing,  he  called  upon 
Bro.  Wm.  Ryland,  an  elder  of  the  Methodist 
Episcop-al  Church,  who  had  been  invited  tor  the 
purpose,  to  assist  him  in  the  ordination.  We 
were  accordingly  ordained  to  the  office  of  elders 
in  the  ministry,  by  the  laying  on  of  hands.  John 
Hildt,  a  member  of  the  vestry,  had  been  appointed 
secretary.  He  executed  certificates  of  ordination 
to  each  of  us,  in  the  German  and  English  lan- 
guages, which  certificates  were  then  signed  by 
Father  William  Otterbein,  and  delivered  to  each 
of  us.  At  night  we  preached  in  the  church.  I 
lodged  with  Otterbein." 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN.  359 

Tht  following  is  a  copy  of  one  of  these  ordina- 
tion certificates: 

Know  all  men  whom  it  may  concern  that  Joseph  Hoffman, 
this  2d  day  of  October,  1813,  in  the  presence  of  the  subscrib- 
ers, leaders  of  the  congregation  in  Baltimore,  by  the  Rev. 
William  Otterbein,  in  conjunction  with,  and  with  the  assist- 
ance of  William  Ryland,  an  elder  of  the  Methodist  society  in 
Baltimore,  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  is  duly  and  solemnly 
ordained.  We  desire  and  pray  that  his  labors  in  the  vine- 
yard of  the  Lord  may  .prove  a  blessing  to  many  souls. 
Given  this  2d  day  of  October,  1813. 

(witness.)  John  Hildt,  Secretary. 

William  Backer. 

Baltzer  Schaeffer. 

_  f  <—* — -  )  A  True  Copy. 

Gottfried  Sumwalt.       j  seal.  [ 


Jacob  Smith.  j  seal.  J 

William  Otterbein. 
Mr.  Otterbein  delivered  his  address  to  the  can- 
didates sitting  in  an  aim-chair,  to  winch  it  had 
been  necessary  to  assist  him.  One  point  in  his 
address  was  a  solemn  injunction  against  being 
precipitate  in  the  ordinations  that  it  would  de- 
volve upon  them  to  confer.  He  had  again  to  be 
assisted  when  he  rose  to  his  feet  to  place  his 
hands  on  the  heads  of  the  candidates.  Through 
the  ordination  of  these  three  ministers,  especially 
of  Mr.  Newcomer   and   Mr.    Hoffman,   both   of 


360  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

whom  served  as  bishops,  ordination  ha?*  been 
conveyed  to  several  thousand  ministers — ic  all, 
indeed,  that  have  been  ordained  in  the  United 
Brethren  Church. 

The  presence  and  assistance  of  Rev.  Wm.  Ivy- 
land,  of  the  Methodist  Church,  recalls  the  presence 
and  assistance  of  Mr.  Otterbein  at  the  consecra- 
tion of  Bishop  Asbury.  Concerning  Mr.  Ryland 
a  few  words  will  be  in  place.  By  birth  he  was  an 
Irishman.  He  became  a  traveling  preacher  in 
1802.  He  was  five  times  elected  chaplain  of  the 
United  States  senate.  He  was  pronounced  by  the 
statesman  Wm.  Pinckney  the  greatest  pulpit  ora- 
tor he  had  ever  heard.  General  Jackson  greatly 
admired  him,  and  gave  him  a  chaplain's  commis- 
sion in  the  United  States  navy.  In  this  position 
he  served  for  the  last  seventeen  years  of  his  life, 
He  was  a  man  of  precious  spirit.  2s"o  more  suit- 
able man  could  have  been  chosen  by  Mr.  Ot 
terbein. 

Dr.  Harbaugh's  views  as  to  Otterbein's  seeing 
the  necessity  of  giving  "  validity  to  an  abnormal 
ministry"  by  ordination  conferred  at  the  last 
moment,  as  to  his  holding  on  to  the  religious 
movement,  "not  to  organize  it,  but  to  prevent 
its  organization,*'  as  to  his  "  silently  mourning  " 
over  mistakes  made  in  "  the  heat  of  former  en- 
thusiasm," and  so  forth, —  these    views,  did  they 


LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN.  361 

possess  a  grain  of  serious  foundation,  would  be 
entitled  to  a  careful  consideration.  His  views 
and  theories  on  these  points,  however,  are  the 
purest  fiction.  That  Mr.  Otterbein  was  acting 
cordially  and  positively  in  solemnly  ordaining 
three  of  his  brethren,  was  characteristic  of  the 
spirit  of  his  life,  and  in  full  accord  with  all  of  his 
later  acts.  The  reason  for  his  not  ordaining  at 
an  earlier  time  was  his  characteristic  humility, 
and  not  a  belief  that  it  would  be  improper.  Nor 
did  the  necessity  for  conveying  formal  ordina- 
tion first,  at  this  time,  come  into  his  mind.  He 
said,  "  I  have  always  considered  myself  too  un- 
worthy to  perform  this  solemn  injunction  of  the 
apostle." 

The  day  following  this  ordination,  it  being  Sun- 
day, Mr.  Hoffman  and  Mr.  Newcomer  preached 
in  Mr.  Otterbein's  church,  and  Mr.  Schaffer  as- 
sisted them  in  administering  the  sacrament.  "  A 
great  many  persons  came  to  the  table  of  the 
Lord  with  contrite  hearts  and  streaming  eyes." 
The  following  day  Mr.  Newcomer  and  Mr.  Hoff- 
man left  the  city.  Otterbein  exhorted  them  to 
faithfulness,  told  them  that  God  would  be  with 
them,  and  carry  forward  the  good  work  through 
their  instrumentality.  His  last  words  to  them 
were,  "Farewell.  If  any  inquire  after  me,  tell 
them  I  die  in  the  faith  I  have  preached." 


362  "LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

For  nearly  six  weeks  Mr.  Otterbein  continued 
slowly  to  fail.  It  now  became  evident  that  the 
last  hour  had  come.  Rev.  Dr.  Kurtz,  of  the  Lu- 
theran Chufch,  offered  up  at  his  bedside  the  last 
vocal  prayer,  at  the  close  of  which  Otterbein 
responded,  "Amen,  amen:  it  is  finished."  His 
last  quotation  from  scripture  was,  "Lord,  now 
lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace  according 
to  thy  word,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salva- 
tion." It  now  appeared  that  he  was  on  the  verge 
of  departing,  but  rallying  once  more  he  said 
slowly  and  distinctly,  "Jesus,  Jesus, —  I  die,  but 
thou  livest,  and  soon  I  shall  live  with  thee." 
Then,  addressing  his  friends,  he  continued,  "  The 
conflict  is  over  and  past.  I  begin  to  feel  an  un- 
speakable fullness  of  love  and  peace  divine.  Lay 
my  head  upon  my  pillow,  and  be  still."  Spayth 
adds,  "  Stillness  reigned  in  the  chamber  of  death, 
—  no,  not  of  death,  the  chariot  of  Israel  had 
come.  '  See,'  said  one,  '  how  sweet,  how  easy  he 
breathes.'  A  smile,  a  fresh  glow  lighted  up  his 
countenance,  and  behold  it  was  death. 

'  He  taught  us  how  to  live,  and,  oh !  too  high 
A  price  of  knowledge,  taught  us  how  to  die.'" 

It  is  scarcely  too  much  to  say  that  in  the  long 

list  of  dying  utterances  of  eminent  saints  nothing 

can  be  found  more   profoundly  fitting  or  truly 

sublime  than  the  dying  words  of  Otterbein.  When 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  3^3 

the  scaffolding  of  our  earthly  life  is  rudely  struck 
by  the  hand  of  Death,  there  is  no  foundation  of 
hope  anywhere,  no  principle  of  life  anywhere, 
save  in  Jesus,  who  is  the  resurrection  and  the  life. 
That  he  lives  is  the  pledge  of  our  resurrection, 
yea,  the  pledge  that  we  shall  not  die.  In  Otter- 
bein's  death  it  seemed  that  eternity  overlapped, 
beyond  its  wont,  the  shore  pressed  by  aching 
hearts  and  tired  feet.  It  is  Letter  to  die  under 
the  hush  of  the  Almighty  than  to  he  occupied  to 
the  last  moment  with  cares  and  labors  unwisely, 
perhaps  perilously  deferred.  Otterbein  died  as 
he  lived  —  with  commanding  composure  and  sub- 
dued greatness. 

His  death  took  place  at  ten  p.  M.,  on  Wednes- 
day, November  17th,  1813.  The  funeral  services 
took  place  on  Saturday  morning.  The  body 
was  carried  into  the  church  at  a  quarter  before 
ten  o'clock.  At  ten  o'clock  Rev.  J.  D.  Kurtz, 
of  the  Lutheran  church,  Otterbein's  friend  and 
for  twenty-seven  years  his  co-laborer  in  Balti- 
more, preached  a  discourse  in  German  from  Mat- 
thew xx. :  8  —  "  Call  the  laborers  and  give  them 
their  hire."  It  was  a  fitting  text  for  one  that  had 
spent  sixty-five  years  in  the  ministry.  After  the 
discourse  in  German  by  Dr.  Kurtz,  Rev.  Wm. 
Ryland,  of  the  Methodist  Church,  spoke  in.  En- 
glish.    The  members  of  the  different  churches  in 


364  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

the  city  were  in  attendance  in  large  numbers. 
Almost  all  of  the  ministers  of  the  city  were  pres- 
ent. Rev.  George  Dashields,  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  conducted  the  ceremony  at  the  grave. 

Let  us  notice  those  that,  doubtless  by  Mr.  Ot- 
terbein's  arrangement,  took  the  leading  part  in 
these  solemnities.  Dr.  Kurtz  was  the  son  of  Rev. 
J.  N.  Kurtz,  Otterbein's  neighbor  at  Tulpehocken. 
His  character  is  illustrated  by  a  remark  that  he 
made.  He  was  told  that  the  Methodists  were  or- 
ganizing churches  among  German  Lutherans. 
He  replied,  "And  is  it  not  better  that  they  should 
go  to  heaven  as  Methodists,  than  to  be  neglected 
and  overlooked  as  Lutherans?"  He  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  General  Synod  of  the  Lu- 
theran Church,  which  has  always  been  noted  for 
its  evangelical  character. 

Rev.  George  Dashields,  though  an  Episcopalian, 
often  preached  for  Mr.  Otterbein.  He  also  to 
some  extent  made  itinerant  tours,  and  sometimes 
visited  and  co-operated  with  the  German  evangel- 
ists. His  revival  tendencies  seem  to  have  been 
disapproved,  and  to  have  excited  opposition  in  the 
church  to  which  he  belonged.  In  1816  he  changed 
his  church-relations.  The  character  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Ryland  has  already  been  referred  to. 

It  will  be  observed  that  none  of  Mr.  Otterbein's 
co-workers  among  the  United  Brethren  took  a 


LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN.  865 

part  in  the  funeral  services.     Frederick  Staffer, 

though  beloved  by  Otterbein  and  the  congrega- 
tion, could  better  take  the  place  of  a  mourner. 
Christian  Newcomer,  Joseph  Hoffman,  Christian 
Cram,  and  Jacob  Baulns  were  specially  engaged 
in  Pennsylvania.  When  Mr.  Newcomer  reached 
heme  and  found  a  letter  informing  him  of  the 
death  "of  C  cterbein  he  wrote,  "  He  is  called  to  his 
.  erlasting  home,  where  he  rests  from  his  labors, 
and  his  works  will  follow  him."  ~No  Reformed 
minister  took  part  in  the  services.  Rev.  Christian 
L.  Becker  was  still  serving  as  pastor  of  the  Re- 
formed Church. 

When  Bishop  Asbury  received  the  sad  news  of 
the  death  of  his  friend  he  exclaimed,  "  Is  Father 
Otterbein  dead?  Great  and  good  man  of  God! 
An  honor  to  his  church  and  country.  One  of  the 
greatest  scholars  and  divines  that  ever  came  to 
America,  or  born  in  it.  Alas,  the  chiefs  of  the 
Germans  are  gone  to  their  rest  and  reward,  taken 
from  the  evil  to  come." 

At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  eighty-seven 
years,  five  months,  and  fourteen  days  of  age.  He 
had  been  a  minister  sixty-five  years,  reckoning 
*  from  the  time  he  became  a  candidate;  or  reckon- 
ing from  his  ordination,  sixty-four  years.  He 
was  buried  in  the  yard  by  the  side  of  the  church, 
between  the  church  and  Conway  Street,  at  the 


306  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN, 

right  of  the  entrance  from  the  street.  A  large 
marble  slab  rests  flat  upon  the  grave,  and  over 
this,  supported  by  four  square  pillars  at  the 
corners,  rests  a  second  slab.  The  inscription  to 
his  memory  is  on  this  second  horizontal  slab. 

After  his  decease  his  congregation  continued 
to  be  served  by  Rev.  Frederick  Schaffer  until  the 
next  meeting  of  the  United  Brethren  conference, 
when  a  committee  from  the  congregation  made  a 
full  report  to  the  conference  of  the  facts  con- 
nected with  his  death,  and  presented  the  request 
of  the  congregation  that  a  minister  be  sent  them 
by  the  conference.  This  was  according  to  the 
wish  of  Otterbein. 

Mr.  Otterbein's  liberality  had  been  such  as  to 
leave  little  property  to  be  disposed  of  by  will. 
The  only  items  in  his  will  looking  to  his  individ- 
ual property  are  the  following:  "I  desire  that 
my  just  debts  and  funeral  expenses  may  be  paid 
as  soon  as  may  be  after  my  decease."  "  I  devise 
and  give  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Drucks,  now  living  in 
my  family,  and  as  a  testimony  of  my  esteem  for 
her,  the  sum  of  fifty  dollars.  I  give,  devise,  and 
bequeath  all  the  residue  of  my  property,  personal 
or  mixed,  to  my  friend  Elizabeth  Schwope,  as  a 
small  but  the  only  compensation  in  my  power  for 
her  faithful  services  and  uncommon  attention  to 
me  for  many  years  past/' 


LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIX.  367 

In  March,  1814,  four  months  after  the  death  of 
Otterbein,  Mr.  Asbury  came  to  Baltimore  to  at- 
tend the  session  of  the  Baltimore  Conference. 
By  request  of  the  conference,  and  certainly  at 
the  hearty  desire  of  the  stricken  congregation, 
he  delivered  in  Otterbein's  church  a  fitting  dis- 
course in  memory  of  the  departed.  The  follow- 
ing is  the  note  that  he  made  in  his  journal:  "  By 
request,  I  discoursed  on  the  character  of  the 
angel  of  the  church  of  Philadelphia,  in  allusion 
to  William  Otterbein,  the  holy,  the  great  Otter- 
bein, whose  funeral  discourse  it  was  intended  to 
be.  Solemnity  marked  the  silent  meeting  in  the 
German  church,  where  were  assembled  the  mem- 
bers of  our  conference  and  many  of  the  clergy  of 
the  city.  Forty  years  have  I  known  the  retiring 
modesty  of  this  man  of  God,  towering  majestic 
above  his  fellows,  in  learning,  wisdom,  and  grace, 
yet  seeking  to  be  known  only  to  God  and  the 
people  of  God." 

A  few  additional  testimonies,  coming  from 
widely  -  contrasted  sources,  will  now  be  given. 
The  following  is  from  Dr.  Benjamin  Kurtz  of  the 
Lutheran  Church:  "Otterbein,  that  true  and 
living  witness,  whose  memory  I  hold  dear,  and 
cherish  in  my  heart  of  hearts,  was  still  laboring 
in  faith  and  patience,  and  with  great  success, 
when  I  commenced  preaching  the  gospel;  but  a 


368  LIFE    OF    OTTERBEIN. 

short  time  before  my  arrival   in   Baltimore,  the 
Master  had  called  him  home.     The  pious  part  of 
the  community  still  delighted  in  calling  to  mind 
his  unctions  sermons,  his  holy  walk  and  conver- 
sation, and  his  wonderful  success  in  winning  sin- 
ners from  the  error   of  their  ways,  as   well   as 
in  encouraging  the  weak  and  building  up  believ- 
ers.   My  uncle,  Eev.  D.  Kurtz,  a  true  man  of  God, 
was   a   co-laborer  of  the   sainted    Otterbein,    on 
terms  of  intimacy  with   him,  and    preached   his 
funeral   sermon.     He    often    spoke   to    me  about 
him,  and  always  indicated  the  profound    regard 
and  ardent  affection  he  entertained  for  him.     In 
Washington  County,  Maryland,  and  in  adjacent 
parts  of  Virginia  (where  I  spent  the  first  sixteen 
years  of  my  ministry),  Otterbein  was  well  known. 
He  frequently  visited  that  section,  and  everywhere 
I  met  with  living  seals  of  his  ministry.     The  de- 
votion and  enthusiasm  with  which  those  who  had 
been  converted  under  his  preaching  spoke  of  his 
power  in  the  pulpit,  of  his  spirit  and  holy  con- 
versation in  personal  intercourse,  and  of  his  un- 
tiring labors  to  lead  sinners  to  Christ,  was  really 
refreshing,  and  tilled  my  heart  with  love  and  ad- 
miration for  that  chosen  and  distinguished  servant 
of  the   Lord.      I   knew   a    number   of  the    early 
preachers  who  had  been  converted  by  Otterbein** 
instrumentality,  and  preached   in  company  with 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  36S 

some  of  them,  on  funeral  and  other  occasions. 
They  were  all  men  of  God,  and  though  not 
learned,  like  Otterbein  (who  was  a  scholar  as  well 
as  a  saint),  they  were  faithful,  devoted,  and  emi- 
nently useful.  If  ever  there  was  a  true  revival- 
preacher,  Otterbein  was  one." 

Dr.  Zacharias,  the  pastor  of  the  Reformed 
church  at  Frederick,  Maryland,  wrote  in  1847 
the  following:  "  Mr.  Otterbein  was  a  ripe  scholar, 
and  a  devoted  and  pious  man,  who  lived  in  God 
and  God  in  him.  By  his  agency  a  new  life  was 
brought  into  the  church,  at  first  as  a  mustard- 
seed,  but  later  as  a  tree  whose  branches  afforded 
a  grateful  resting-place  to  many.  *  *  *  He  was 
respected  and  revered  even  by  those  who  disap- 
proved of  his  measures,  and  throughout  life  his 
character  stood  unsullied  by  a  single  stain." 

Before  his  toilsome  career  wras  brought  to  a 
close,  his  devotion  to  his  life-wTork,  his  sacrifices, 
and  manifold  labors  had  won  a  recognition  from 
even  his  opponents.  He  was  blessed  by  the  poor 
whose  sad  condition  he  had  relieved  from  some 
of  its  shadows,  and  about  him  gathered  with  their 
kindly  presence  and  pure-hearted  appreciation  the 
choicest  spirits  of  the  times.  His  fidelity  had  been 
put  to  the  severest  test,  but  at  the  last  it  was  suit- 
ably and  amply  rewarded. 

Mr.  John  Hildt's  account  of  his  first  acquaint- 

24 


370  LIFE    OF   OTTERBEIN. 

ance   with  Mr.   Otterbein,  about  1800,  lias  such 
tenderness   and   life-likeness  that   it  will   be  in- 
serted in  full:    "Nearly  half  a  century  has  passed 
since  I  became  acquainted   with  Mr.  Otterbein; 
and  never  will  I  forget  the  impression  made  upon 
my  mind  when  I  first  saw   and  heard  him.     It 
was  on   Good  Friday,  in  the  forenoon,  when,  by 
the  persuasion  of  a  friend,  I  entered  the  church 
where    he    officiated.      A   venerable,   portly    old 
man,  above  six  feet  in  height,  erect  in  posture, 
apparently  about  seventy -five  years  of  age,  stood 
before  me.    He  had  a  remarkably  high  and  prom- 
inent  forehead.      Gray    hair   fell    smooth    down 
both   sides    of    his    head,  on   his   temples.      His 
eyes  were  large,  blue,  and  piercing,  and  sparkled 
with  the  fire  of  love  that  warmed  his  heart.     In 
his  appearance  and  manners  there  was  nothing 
repulsive,  but  all  was  attractive,  and  calculated 
to  command   the   most   profound  attention   and 
reverence.     He  opened  his  lips  in  prayer  to  Jeho- 
vah.    Oh,  what  a  voice! — what  a  prayer!    Every 
word    thrilled   my   heart.      I   had    heard   many 
prayers,  but  never   before  one   like    this.      The 
words  of  his  text  were  these :     '  Thus  it  is  writ- 
ten, and  thus  it  behooved  Christ  to  suffer,  and  to 
rise  from  the  dead  the  third  day;  and  that  repent- 
ance and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preached  in 
his  name,  among  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jeru- 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  371 

salem.5  As  he  proceeded  in  the  elucidation  of  the 
text  and  in  the  application,  it  seemed  that  every 
word  was  exactly  adapted  to  my  case,  and  in- 
tended for  me.  Every  sentence  smote  me.  A 
tremor  at  length  seized  on  my  whole  frame;  tears 
streamed  from  my  eyes;  and,  utterly  unable  to 
restrain  myself,  I  cried  aloud. 

"  On  the  following  Sabbath  I  again  went  to  Mr. 
O.'s  church,  when  he  took  special  notice  of  the 
young  stranger,  and  gave  me  an  invitation  to 
visit  him  on  the  next  day.  I  complied  with  the 
friendly  request,  with  some  reluctance  it  is  true, 
but  was  received  with  such  unaffected  tenderness 
and  love,  and  addressed  with  so  much  solicitude 
for  my  salvation,  that  my  heart  was  won/' 

The  following  is  the  description  of  his  person 
by  Henry  Boehm,  as  he  appeared  at  the  confer- 
ence of  1800:  "In  person  he  was  tall,  being  six 
feet  high,  with  a  noble  frame,  and  a  commanding 
appearance.  He  had  a  thoughtful,  open  counte- 
nance, full  of  benignity,  and  a  dark  -  bluish  eye 
that  was  very  expressive.  In  reading  the  lesson 
he  used  spectacles,  which  he  would  take  off  and 
hold  in  his  left  hand  while  speaking.  He  had  a 
high  forehead,  a  double  chin  with  a  beautiful 
dimple  in  the  center.  His  locks  were  gray,  his 
dress  parsonic." 

There  are  three  independent  pictures  of  him. 


372  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

The  one   representing  him  in   a  study-cap   was 

ever  tenderly  loved  by  those  that  witnessed  the 
last  years  of  his  ministry.  The  one  usually  seen 
in  lithograph  form  represents  him  at  the  age  of 
twenty-seven.  The  third  picture  was  made  in 
1810,  for  Peter  Hoffman,  one  of  his  elders.  This 
is  the  picture  given  in  this  volume.  Aside  from 
these  three  pictures,  there  is  a  photograph  of  a 
wax  bust,  giving  a  profile  view.  All  of  the  pict- 
ures substantially  agree,  the  differences,  for  the 
most  part,  resulting  from  difference  in  age,  posi- 
tion, or  dress.     All  are  s^ood. 

The  work  of  Mr.  Otterbein  has  already  been 
presented  in  its  various  phases  and  outlines.  This 
is  not  the  place  to  enlarge  upon  the  importance 
and  greatness  of  the  work  that  was  put  in  motion 
by  him.  Let  it  suffice  to  say  that  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  nearly  or  quite  one  hundred  preach- 
ers had  been  raised  up  and  introduced  into  the 
work  of  preaching  a  living  gospel,  and  that  the 
movement  had  already  extended  over  large  parts 
of  several  great  states,  finding  its  way  many  hun- 
dred miles  beyond  the  field  of  Mr.  Otterbein's 
personal  labors.  That  he  stood  at  the  head  of 
this  great  work,  as  far  as  the  same  was  brought 
under  a  common  form,  no  one  can  doubt. 

It  is  a  fact  not  to  be  ignored  that  in  his  last 
years  many  troubles  came  to  his  heart  in  view  of 


LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN.  373 

the  position  and  course  that  he  had  been  led  to 
take.  The  fact  that  he  stood  in  his  old  age  sun- 
dered from  dear  and  venerable  historic  associ- 
ations wrung  from  him  the  deepest  anguish  that 
it  is  possible  for  the  heart  to  feel.  His  sor- 
row was  not  the  bitterness  of  repentance  over 
mistakes  into  which  he  had  been  precipitated. 
His  sorrow  was  not  over  the  outcome  of  his 
course  and  efforts,  but  over  the  condition  of  things 
that  had  led  him,  without  his  planning,  into  a 
new  and  untried  way.  There  is  no  evidence  of 
even  a  momentary  faltering  in  his  attachment  to 
those  that  had  been  ]ed  into  the  revival-move- 
ment by  him,  and  to  the  cause  to  which  they 
with  himself  stood  committed;  but  how  gladly 
would  he  have  embraced  also  all  that  in  earlier 
times  had  stood  to  him  as  brethren. 

In  the  forced  seclusion  of  his  last  years  he  had 
to  fight  no  ordinary  battles.  He  asked  in  great 
anxiety,  "  Will  the  work  stand,  and  endure  the 
fiery  test?"  Within  the  last  year  of  his  life  he 
sent  for  Christian  Xewcomer  and  Jacob  Baulus, 
that  he  might  see  them  once  more,  and  that  he 
might  converse  with  them  on  the  state  of  relig- 
ion and  the  interests  of  the  church.  In  conver- 
sation with  them  he  said,  "  The  Lord  has  been 
pleased  graciously  to  satisfy  me  fully  that  the 
work  will  abide," 


374  LIFE   OF    OTTERBETN. 

What — as  a  final  judgment — was  the  cluct  factor 
in  Mr.  Otterbein's  life,  the  key  to  his  character 
and  career?  It  was  not  a  form  of  philosophy;  it 
was  not  a  type  of  theology;  it  was  not  enthusi- 
asm. The  true  explanation  of  his  devoted,  life 
and  sustained  labors  is  to  be  found  in  his  deep 
perception  of  the  moral  contrasts  presented  in 
the  Scriptures.  This  was  the  basis;  other  things 
rested  upon  this  foundation.  He  saw  men  as  lost, 
and,  by  the  widest  contrast  imaginable,  beheld 
them  redeemed.  He  appreciated  the  unspeakable 
difference  between  a  soul  unrenewed  and  a  soul 
renewed.  The  difference  was  one  of  quality,  fun- 
damental character  —  not  one  of  moral  shading. 
Others  were  thinking  of  educating  a  new  man 
out  of  the  old  man ;  he  believed  in  nothing  short 
of  a  new  creature  in  Christ.  By  the  aid  of  the 
Scriptures  he  read  moral  truth  in  its  primitive 
courses.  He  saw  that  the  difference  between  un- 
believers and  Christians  must  be  carried,  on  the 
part  of  Christians,  to  a  joyful  and  assured  knowl- 
edge of  salvation.  He  regarded  this  as  necessary 
not  only  for  the  proper  joy  and  comfort  of  believ- 
ers, but  also  as  necessary  for  the  triumphs  of  the 
church.  To  deny  the  possibility  of  this  assurance 
was  to  go  against  the  Scriptures,  and  to  cast  away 
the  essential  consistency  of  Christianity.  Why 
should  not  so  great  a  change  as  that  from  death 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBKIN.  37 1> 

unto  life,  from  the  disfavor  to  the  favor  of  God, 
have  a  witness  in  man's  inmost  experience?  From 
such  preceptions  there  could  be  but  one  result. 
Could  any  man  have  this  deep  and  living  view  of 
moral  qualities  and  conditions  —  qualities  and 
conditions  so  boldly  presented  and  strikingly  con- 
trasted in  the  Scriptures — and  remain  an  ordinary 
Christian,  or  an  ordinary  force  in  the  work  of 
saving  men? 

His  convictions  were  deep  and  powerful,  active 
and  unyielding.  While  he  startled  and  moved 
others,  he  himself  was  deliberate  and  composed. 
He  had  both  the  courage  and  the  confidence  of 
his  convictions,  and  could  therefore  afford,  when 
outward  display  would  avail  nothing,  to  possess 
his  soul  in  peace;  and  when  in  action,  all  of  his 
power  could  be  turned,  with  no  wasting  upon 
himself,  directly  upon  the  work  to  be  done. 

Mr,  Otterbein's  place  in  history  is  becoming 
more  clear  and  his  name  more  honored  as  the 
years  go  by.  The  ideas  that  he  sought  to  advance 
are  now  firmly  throned  in  the  heart  of  the  church. 
The  ideas  of  a  conscious  experience  of  the  grace 
of  God,  a  spiritual  church-membership,  a  con- 
verted ministry,  and  the  social  element  in  relig- 
ious life,  are  no  longer  the  symbols  of  divisions 
in  the  church.  But  the  world  does  not  forget 
those  that  won  for  these  ideas  their  recognized 


376  LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN. 

place.  Revivals,  the  promotion  of  which  required 
in  him  a  martyr-spirit,  have  now  an  open  field  and 
the  authority  of  multitudes  of  the  greatest  names. 
A  bishop  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
South  recently  said,  "If  Otterbein  had  preached 
in  the  English  language  he  would  have  headed 
the  general  evangelical  movement  in  this  coun- 
try." The  remark  contemplates,  it  may  be  said, 
more  his  fitness  and  position  in  time,  than  his 
disposition  toward  leadership.  Rev.  George  Lan- 
sing Taylor,  a  Methodist  divine,  in  an  ode  written 
in  1875,  speaks  of  Otterbein  as  — 

"  Scholar,  apostle,  and  saint,  by  Asbury  loved  as  a  brother ; 
Sage  in  counsel,  and  mighty  in  prayer  as  Elijah  on  Carmel; 
Founder  and    head  of    a  people,   a  godly,   fraternal   com- 
munion." 

No  fitter  conclusion  can  be  given  to  this  at- 
tempt to  trace  the  life  of  Mr.  Otterbein  than  by 
giving  the  list  of  questions  and  answers,  already 
referred  to  as  forming  a  part  of  the  Hollings- 
worth  article.  The  questions  were  submitted  by 
Bishop  Asbury,  and  the  answers  were  undoubt- 
edly written  by  Mr.  Otterbein's  own  hand.  The 
answers  were  given  in  1812.  They  begin  with  his 
home  in  Germany  and  "come  down  to  the  very 
close  of  his  life.  The  answers  are  strikingly  and 
admirably  characteristic,  and  to  one  that  has 
already  obtained  some  knowledge  of  Otterbein's 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  377 

life   they   need   no    comment.     The  following  is 
the  list: 

To  the  Rev.  William  Ottereein  — 

Sir:  —  Where  were  you  born? 

Answer.     In  jSTassau-Dillenburg,  in  Germany. 

Question.  How  many  years  had  you  lived  in 
your  native  land? 

Ans.     Twenty-six  years. 

Qiics.  How  many  years  have  you  resided  in 
America? 

Ans.     Sixty  years  the  coming  August. 

Ques.     Where  were  you  educated? 

Ans.     In  Herborn,  in  an  academy. 

Ques.  What  languages  and  sciences  were  you 
taught? 

Ans.  Latin,  Greek,  Hebrew,  Philosophy,  and 
Divinity. 

Ques.  In  what  order  were  you  set  apart  for  the 
ministry? 

Ans.     The  Presbyterian  form  and  order. 

Ques.  What  ministers  assisted  in  your  ordina- 
tion? 

Ans.     Schramm  and  Klingelhoefer. 

Ques.  Where  have  you  had  charge  of  congre- 
gations in  America? 

Ans.  First  in  Lancaster,  in  Tulpehocken,  in 
Fredericktown  in  Maryland,  in  Little  York  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  in  Baltimore. 


378  LIFE   OP   OTTERBEIN. 

Ques.  In  what  part  of  the  United  States  have 
yon  frequently  traveled  in  the  prosecution  of  your 
ministerial  labors? 

Ans.  In  Maryland,  Virginia,  and  Pennsylva- 
nia. 

Ques.  How  many  years  of  your  life,  since  you 
came  to  this  continent,  were  you  in  a  great  meas- 
ure an  itinerant? 

Ans.  The  chief  of  the  time  since  my  coming, 
but  more  4argely  since  my  coming  to  Baltimore. 

Ques.  By  what  means  were  you  brought  to 
the  gospel  of  God  and  our  Savior? 

Ans.  By  degrees  was  I  brought  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth  while  in  Lancaster. 

Ques.  Have  you  unshaken  confidence  in  Gocl, 
through  Christ,  of  your  justification,  sanctifica- 
tion,  and  sore  hope  of  glorification? 

Ans.  The  Lord  has  been  good  to  me,  and  no 
doubt  remains  in  my  mind  but  he  will  be  good; 
and  I  can  now  praise  him  for  the  hope  of  a  better 
life. 

Ques.  Have  you  ever  kept  any  account  of  the 
seals  of  your  ministry? 

Ans.     None. 

Ques.  Have  you  ever  kept  any  account  of  the 
members  in  the  society  of  the  United  Brethren? 

Ans.     Only  what  are  in  Baltimore. 

Ques.     Have   you   taken    any    account  of   tile 


LIFE   OF    OTTERBEIN.  879 

brethren  introduced  into  the  ministry  immedi- 
ately by  yourself,  and  sent  out  by  you?  Can  you 
give  the  names  of  the  living  and  the  dead? 

Ans.  Henry  Weidner,  Henry  Baker,  Simon 
Herre,  in  Virginia:  these  are  gone  to  their  re- 
ward. Xewcomer  can  give  the  names  of  the 
liviug. 

Ques.  What  ministerial  brethren,  who  have 
been  your  helpers,  can  you  speak  of  with  pleas- 
ure, and  whose  names  are  precious? 

Ans.    Greeting,  Weidner,  Xewcomer,  and  others. 

Ques.  What  is  your  mind  concerning  John 
Wesley,  and  the  order  of  Methodists  in  America? 

Ans.  I  think  highly  of  John  Wesley.  I  think 
well  of  the  Methodists  in  America. 

Ques.  What  are  your  views  of  the  present 
state  of  the  church  of  Christ  in  Europe  and 
America,  and  of  prophecy? 

Ans.  In  continental  Europe  the  church  has 
lost,  in  a  great  degree,  the  light  of  truth.  In 
England  and  America  the  light  still  shines. 
Prophecy  is  hastening  to  its  accomplishment. 

Ques.  Will  you  give  any  commandment  con- 
cerning your  bones,  and  the  memoirs  of  your 
life?  Your  children  in  Christ  will  not  suffer  you 
to  die  unnoticed. 

No  answer  was  returned,  to  the  last  question. 


380  LIFE   OF   OTTERBEIN. 

This  blank,  however,  was  itself  truly  expressive 
of  his  character. 

The  immortality  that  he  sought  he  soon  after- 
ward gained  in  the  unseen  realm.  Yet  he  lives 
in  the  memories  of  the  good  of  earth.  May  he 
have  in  this  world,  too,  a  truer  immortality  than 
that  of  a  name  embalmed  in  memory. —  even  that 
of  living  in  the  increased  endeavors  of  many  thou- 
sands, who,  clothed  with  his  spirit,  shall  carry 
forward  the  work  that  he  so  nobly  began.  For 
this  triple  immortality  —  in  heaven,  in  grateful 
memory,  and  in  an  increasing  force  for  good  — 
who  would  not  suffer,  toil,  and  die?  Yet  in  the 
life  of  Otterbein,  an  ulterior  object,  something  be- 
yond any  personal  end  to  be  gained,  is  to  be  dis- 
cerned, if  we  would  understand  his  unvarying 
course,  and  the  proportioned  greatness  of  his 
character.  We  must  discern  as  his  constant  aim 
the  glory  of  God,  and  the  salvation  of  undying 
30uls. 


INDEX, 


Albright,  Rev.  Jacob,  190. 
Answers  to  questions  of  Asbury,  377. 
Antietam,l<>4,  244. 
Antietam  meetings,  247. 
Appel,  Dr.  Theodore,  161. 
Arnold,  Dr.  Valentine,  38,  41,  49. 
Asbury,  Bishop,  162,  206,  211,  249,  270, 

354. 
Asbury' s  consecration,  209. 
Asbury's  tributes,  270,  365,  367. 
Assurance,  74,  339,  374. 
Aurandt,  Rev.  J.  D.,  266. 

Baltimore,  156. 
Baker,  Rev.  Henry,  225. 
'  Baptism,  139,  231,  232. 
Baulus,  Rev.  Jacob,  238. 
Becker,  Rev.  C.  L.,  262,  263. 
Benedum,  Rev.  Geo,  238. 
Benevolence,  323. 
Berg,  42. 

Bishops,  277,  282,  289. 
Blackburn,  Dr.  W.  M.,  299. 
Boehrn  Chapel,  311. 
Boehm,  Rev.  H.,  278. 
Boehrn,  Rev.  Martin,  115,  119,  128, 

137,  242,  296,  305. 
Books;  352. 

Brown,  Rev.  Wm.,  337. 
Burg,  46. 
Butler,  Bishop,  73. 

Call  to  Baltimore,  155. 

LV.n  to  Philadelphia,  lu4. 


Call  to  Reading,  104. 

Calvinism,  37,  55,  77,  81,  146,  179. 

Candidates,  43. 

Charter  of  Baltimore  congregation, 

183. 
Church,  what  constitutes  a,  260. 
Circuits,  239,  282,  285. 
Cocceianism,  299. 
Cocceius,  40. 
Co-laborers,  127. 
Conferences,    223,  234,  273,  279,  280, 

283. 
Confession  of  faith,  230. 
Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit,  78, 
Convictions,  375. 
Cook,  Rev.  I.  P.,  314. 
Cook,  Joseph,  258. 
Crider,  Rev.  Martin,  153,  226. 

Dashields,  Rev.  Geo.,  364. 

Death  of  Otterbein,  362. 

Development  in  doctrine,  76. 

Discipline,  effort  to  secure,  65. 

Dillenburg,  24. 

Domestic  incidents,  320. 

Double  relations,  205,  260,  268. 

Dress,  321. 

Drueks  family,  320. 

Dutch  Methodists,  304,  220. 

Dying  words,  362. 

Edwahbs,  Jonathan.  48,  103,  258. 

English,  knowledge  of,  343. 

Ernst,  Rev.  John,  225. 


382 


INDEX. 


"  Evangelical    Reformed    Church," 
160. 

Faber,  Rev.  J.  C,  156,  160. 

Faith,  338. 

Fanaticism,  259. 

Fasting,  322. 

Founder  of  United  Brethren  Church, 

256,  260,  269,  271. 
Frederick,  99. 
Freemasonry,  332. 
Frohnhausen,  27. 
Funeral  of  Otterbein,  363. 

Geeting,  Rev.  G.  A.,  149,  262,  304. 
Generosity,  170. 
German  churches,  61,  103,  254. 
Germans  in  America,  49,  57,  61. 
German  susceptibility,  62. 
Great  meetings,  137,  244. 
Griffith's  Annals,  166. 
Grosh,  Rev.  Christopher,  226. 

Hamilton,  Sir  Wm.,  74. 

Hautz,  Rev.  A.,  190,  254. 

Harbaugh,  Dr.  Henry,  360. 

Harbaugh,  Leonard,  228. 

Heidelberg  Catechism,  27, 177. 

Hendel,  Dr.  Wm.jr.,  72. 

Hendel,  Dr.  Wm.,  sen.,  93,  111,  188. 

Herborn,  35. 

Herborn  school,  35,  36. 

Herr,  Rev.  John,  143. 

Herre,  Rev.  Simon,  226. 

Hershey,  Rev.  Abraham,  121. 

Hershey,  Rev.  John,  237. 

Hildt,  Rev.  J.,  163,  336,  369. 

Hoffman,  Rev.  Jos.,  356. 

Hoffman,  Peter,  251,  372. 

Holland,  church  of,  48,  54. 

Hollings worth  Paper,  308. 

Incidents,  319. 
Indian  troubles,  86. 


Intemperance,  346. 
Interior  history,  69,  131,  215. 

Kemp,  Rev.  Peter,  272. 
Klingelhcefer,  46. 
Kurtz,  Dr.  B.,  257,  269,  367. 
Kurtz,  Dr.  J.  D.,  362,  363,  364. 

Laical  Spirit,  95. 

Lampe,  37,  39. 

Lancaster,  63. 

Latin  sermons,  350. 

Lehman,  Rev.  Adam,  154,  224. 

LeRoy  family,  109. 

Letters,  96,  105,  337,341,  343,  340. 

License  of  D.  Snyder,  229. 

License  of  H.  Weidner,  202. 

Lischy,  Rev.  J.,  114. 

Long,  Isaac,  115. 

Marriage  of  Otterbein,  109. 

Mayer,  Abraham,  238. 

Meeting  at  Isaac  Long's,  115,  138. 

Mennonites,  59,  127,  142. 

Methodism,  205,  210,  294,  302,  304. 

Millennium,  341. 

Missionaries,  49. 

Mother  of  Otterbein,  25,  31,  32,  47,  52. 

Muhlenberg,  Rev.  J.  M.,  56. 

Mysticism,  259. 

Nassau,  22. 

Neidig,  Rev.  John,  236. 

Nevin,  Dr.,  255. 

Newcomer,  Rev.  Christian,  214,  219, 

317,  355. 
New  Lights,  137. 

Objective  Christianity,  78.  80- 
Objective  securities,  80,  115, 25« 
Oekersdorf,  44. 
Olevianus,  40,  74. 
Oppositions,  47,  102,  261,  329. 
Ordinations,  358. 
Ordination  certificate,  44. 


INDEX. 


Organization,  139,  223,  250,  26C,  272, 

297,  356. 
Organs,  331. 

Otterbein,  Charles  Frederick,  25. 
Otterbein  family,  25,  32,  34. 
Otterbein,  George  Godfrey,  33,  123. 
Otterbein,  Henry  Daniel,  34. 
Otterbein,  John,  25. 
Otterbein,  John  Charles,  33. 
Otterbein,  John  Daniel,  jr.,  33. 
Otterbein,  John  Daniel,  sen.,  25,  26, 

29. 
Otterbein,  John  Henry,  32,  124. 
Otterbein's  preaching,  245,  246,  286, 

287,  290,  292,  326. 

Palatinate,  the,  58. 
Papers  destroyed,  336. 
Persecution  in  Europe,  58. 
Personal  appearance  of  Otterbein, 

370,  371. 
Pfrimmer,  Rev.  J.  G.,  234. 
Pietism,  40,  75,  192. 
Pietistic  associations,  194. 
Pomp,  Rev.  Nich.,  186. 
Portraits,  371. 
Prayer-meetings,  46,  92,  93. 
Prophecy,  342,  354. 

Quinn's  Journal,  297,  302. 

Raxke,  300. 

Rau,  Dr.  J.  E.,  38,  50. 

Recommendation,  50. 

Reformed  Church,  49,  77,  249,  252. 

Religion,  leading  types  of,  78. 

"  Religious  Societies,"  75. 

Retrospect  of  Otterbein,  372. 

Revival,  general,  76,  299. 

Revival-movement,  115,  117,  139,  213, 

219,  372. 
Revivals,  80,  257,  258. 
Reward.  380. 


River  Brethren, 139,  141. 
Runkle,  Rev.  J.  W.,  222. 
Ryland,  Rev.  Wra.,  358,  360,  363. 

Sabbath-breaking,  307. 

Sanctification,  337. 

Schaffer,    Rev.   Frederick,   153,   226, 

356,  358. 
Schlatter,  Rev.  Michael,  48,  100. 
Schramm,  Dr.  J.  H.,  38,  41,   49,  60. 
Schwope,  Rev.,  B.  157,  191,  225. 
Senseny,  Rev.  Peter,  307. 
Separatism,  140,  144,  269. 
Sermon-sketch,  351. 
Sicknesses  of  Otterbein,  251,  290,  365, 
Social  meetings,  94,  288. 
Stahlschmidt,  90. 
Steiner,  Rev.  Conrad,  95. 
Strawbridge,  Rev.  R.,  191,  205. 

Taylor,  Rev.  Geo.  L.,  376. 
Tennants,  the,  258. 
Theater,  the,  343. 
Tomb  of  Otterbein,  365. 
Troxel,  Rev.  Abraham,  227. 
Tulpehocken,  83. 

Union,  a  closer,  with  the  Methodic 

295. 
Union  formed  at  Isaac  Long's,  139. 
United  Brethren,  272. 
United  Brethren,  diversities  of,  298. 
United  Brethren,  various  names  for, 

275. 
"  United  Ministers,"  199. 

Virginia  preachers,  115, 137. 
Visit  to  Germany,  122. 
Vision  of  the  future,  361,  373. 

Wagner,  Rev.  Daniel,  188. 
Weidner,  Rev.  H.,  224. 
Weimer,  Rev.  Jacob,  191. 


384 


INDEX. 


Wesley,  Rev.  J.,  48,  75,  81    194,  259, 

300,  332. 
Whitefield,  205. 
Wife  of  Otterbein,  109, 
Will  of  Ottarbein,  366. 


Winters,  Rev.  Thomas,  264. 
Written  sermons  discarded,  81. 

York,  114. 

Zi.oHARiAg.  Dr.  Daniel,  101,  270,  *On, 


938.99 

Ot8 


» 


